Mann (center, seated), BLKBOK (center right), and Shealy (right, seated) in the control room.

Grammy Award-winning songwriter, record producer, and Green & Bloom/Topline founder/CEO Billy Mann brought Detroit piano prodigy BLKBOK through our Mezzanine Studio to record a collection of holiday piano music late last month. The session was overseen by studio engineer Charley Shealy and produced by Mann.

BLKBOK is an immensely talented pianist whose work has continually crossed genre and style boundaries in interesting blends, primarily in the idioms of classical, contemporary pop, and hip hop. He’s worked with other artists of all stripes over the course of his career (which began at the very young age of six!), including superstars like Rihanna and Justin Timberlake.

For a sample of BLKBOK shredding on a cover, listen to his short snipped of Cardi B’s “Up”, from the Atlantic Records Facebook page (at right). You can also catch a full set of his from Rockwood Music Hall on YouTube, for a taste of the moods his playing can evoke.

Once recording had wrapped, Mann, BLKBOK, and Shealy had time for some preliminary editing and mixing to put a cap on the day’s recordings. We look forward to hearing what these songs become!