Ruby Braff in The Jazz Club Forum

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Ruby Braff

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karyobin

Ruby Braff

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Posts: 3600

Nov 6 05 10:44 AM

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I have a guilty secret

and it is a shocking one, I, with the truck load of European Free, Improv sessions and US avant garde adore the late Ruby Braff

I first met Ruby nearly 20 years ago at the Bulls Head in Barnes, I'm not sure but I think he was with Brian Lemon, Scott Hamilton and Warren Vache but that dosn't matter to the story.

A much older friend who knew how much I loved Miles and Louis insisted that I go and hear him, 'You'll be amazed'. He'd enthused, I was not so sure, I knew Ruby was out of the Dixie school and it sort of seemed like I was being asked to go and see a great uncle play in his waistcoat and bowler hat, Saturday night variety TV jazz but I went.

This little jewish guy from Boston blew me away, his choice of material was flawless his playing bright and celebratory or, during ballads, deep and moody with a solid tone that sent shivers down the spine, I was hooked.

After the set he came over to our table and greeted the people sitting with me, he knew all their names even if he attributed them to the wrong people

, they were I suppose his UK fan base an he was very greatful for their patronage. After a few more words he went off to play a scorching second set and then returned to our table for a drink where he told us story after story (one about him and Peggy Lee turning up at the wrong building for a concert had us in stiches and would have had Lee's lawyers beating at his door if it had been repeated) late into the night.

I saw him many more times over the years and as his health declined his playing, still superb, became shorter and the stories he told from the bandstand became longer but we loved him for it.

This is my little tribute to a great and often overlooked jazz man ladies and gentlemen, I give you the late great Ruby Braff.

K
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'If you can't say it in two minutes thirty, write a book'.

Col

Norbury South London

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karyobin

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Nov 6 05 10:47 AM

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Ruby Braff

Biography by Scott Yanow

One of the great swing/Dixieland cornetists, Ruby Braff went through long periods of his career unable to find work because his music was considered out-of-fashion, but his fortunes improved by the 1970s. A very expressive player who in later years liked to build his solos up to a low note, Braff's playing was instantly recognizable within seconds.

Braff mostly worked around Boston in the late '40s. He teamed up with Pee Wee Russell when the clarinetist was making a comeback (they recorded live for Savoy), and after moving to New York in 1953, he fit easily into a variety of Dixieland and mainstream settings. Braff recorded for Vanguard as a leader, and with Vic Dickenson, Buck Clayton, and Urbie Green. He was one of the stars of Buck Clayton's Columbia jam sessions, and in the mid-'50s worked with Benny Goodman. But, despite good reviews and occasional recordings, work was hard for Braff to come by at times. In the 1960s, he was able to get jobs by being with George Wein's Newport All-Stars and at jazz festivals, but it was not until the cornetist formed a quartet with guitarist George Barnes, in 1973, that he became more secure. Afterward, Braff was heard in many small-group settings, including duets with Dick Hyman and Ellis Larkins (he had first met up with the latter in the 1950s), quintets with Scott Hamilton, and matching wits with Howard Alden. He remained one of the greats of mainstream jazz until his death in 2003.

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'If you can't say it in two minutes thirty, write a book'.

Col

Norbury South London

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karyobin

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Nov 6 05 10:51 AM

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Hustlin' and Bustlin'

Review by Scott Yanow

Trumpeter Ruby Braff puts so much passion into each note he plays that, even when performing familiar Dixieland and swing tunes, he is able to immediately uplift the material. On this CD reissue of a Black Lion LP, Braff is heard with three different groups. The bulk of the date features him in a quintet with tenor saxophonist Sam Margolis, pianist Ken Kersey, bassist Milt Hinton, and drummer Bobby Donaldson; highlights include "Hustlin' and Bustlin' for Baby," "There's a Small Hotel," and "Shoe Shine Boy." In addition there are three numbers recorded live at Storyville with an all-star sextet that includes trombonist Vic Dickenson and clarinetist Edmond Hall and one number ("When It's Sleepy Time Down South") with an octet. This set offers listeners a good example of Ruby Braff's playing in his early days.

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'If you can't say it in two minutes thirty, write a book'.

Col

Norbury South London

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karyobin

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Nov 6 05 10:54 AM

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Adoration of the Melody

Review by John McDonough, Downbeat

Back in the mid-'50s when Adoration of the Melody was made, Ruby Braff had a unique sound of great distinction and character. It was thick and fat, and Braff could fine tune its vibrato with a master's touch. He could taper his notes, hold them on perfect pitch, then drift into a warm, broad vibrato that swung with as much grace and relaxation as his best phrases. The album's best blends were on "Lucky Guy," "Easy Living," "I'll Be Around," "It's Easy" and above all "When You're Smilin'," which contained an exquisite ensemble orchestration of Lester Young's classic "triplet" solo of 1937.

QUOTE

Swinging with Ruby Braff

Review by Scott Yanow

This out-of-print LP (part of which has been reissued on CD by the collector's label Jazz Connoisseur) features trumpeter Ruby Braff playing mainstream jazz. The music ranges from swing (with touches of Dixieland) to cool and is notable for showcasing the obscure but talented tenor Sam Margolis (who often recalls late-period Lester Young) and trombonist Billy Byers (who is better-known as an arranger); the fine rhythm section consists of pianist Marty Napoleon, bassist Milt Hinton and drummer Jo Jones. Braff is not as forceful on the set as usual but he is in generally fine form on such numbers as the ad-lib "Only a Blues," "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree," "I'm Shooting High" and "Love Me or Leave Me."

'If you can't say it in two minutes thirty, write a book'.

Col

Norbury South London

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karyobin

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Nov 6 05 11:01 AM

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RUBY BRAFF
Speaks his mind

Photo by David Redfern

Beauty is the key word Talking to Les Tomkins in 1975
How long have you and George Barnes been co�leaders of your group?

It�ll be two years in May we�ve had this group together, and we�ve been playing all over the world. Our reason for joining up? To make nice music�what other idea can there be? Before, we�d played together once or twice, here and there.

The concept is obviously, as you say, nice music. Would you say you�re concerned with more relaxed, subtle sounds than some of the extrovert type of jazz you�ve been involved with?

I don�t know what that means, extrovert jazz. I play the same here as I played anywhere, except that there�s less interference. It�s less noisy; so it�s nice�one doesn�t get a hernia, playing with this group.

And it was the decision of both of you, to dispense with a drummer?

Right. We don�t need a drummer�we know how to keep time. And most drummers not only can�t keep time, but they�re too noisy. There are no more Sid Catletts, Jo Jones and all those wonderful people. Buddy Rich is not available�you know how he is; he won�t play with us�so we have to do without him. Yes, certainly I�m choosy when it comes to drummers. I�m choosy when it comes to anything.

The other two musicians were no doubt carefully chosen.

They were. Michael Moore is probably the best bass player in the entire world today. The best. I haven�t heard ,anybody play as good as him, anywhere. He�s a mastermind �as a very young man. Can you imagine what he�ll be like in twenty years? Amazing.

And by choice also you have the acoustic guitar sound.

Yeah, that rhythm guitar sound is good. That sort of ties a little web there, you might say. I like rhythm guitar; ever since Freddie Green, I�ve always thought it was the right thing.

I�ve heard the group compared to a Django-type feel.

There�ll always be morons who look for comparisons between anything and anything. There�s no comparison; this group sounds nothing like Django. All they can think of is, they see two guitars and they get excited, you know. They�re idiots. Anyone who thinks this group sounds like the Django Reinhardt group is a moron, without any question. They can�t compare anything or anybody I�ve ever played with to anything or anybody playing anywhere else before�because it�s bound to be different.

What would you say about George as a guitarist? You undoubtedly have a very high opinion of his playing.

If I didn�t, he wouldn�t be my partner in crime. Of course. Marvellous player. He�s been a fine virtuoso all of his life. And it was very, very good timing that we were able to get together and do all this. Timing very often has a lot to do with things; you�d be surprised.

Do you feel that the present musical climate is a receptive one for the music you�re playing?

I�ve never seen any musical climate more or less receptive to anything. If you have a nice product, they like it; if you don�t they don�t. The world was always receptive to Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and anybody else who ever put anything together. There are no climates, no audience gaps, no generation gaps, no musical gaps. There�s only lousy performance gaps in this world�caused by lousy players, who stink up jazz and make people not want to go hear it.

What exactly do you mean, then, by timing?

Well, the fact that we were both available for each other at that time, you know, to get together, and have the time to bother to rehearse every day. We rehearsed very hard�millions of hours. Nothing is done by accident�you know that. Nobody who does anything right does it without working hard at it. You have to work very hard at what you do, don�t you, to produce a magazine? Why should it be any less for anyone who wants to get a nice sound?

Actually, I would apply the word timeless to your music.

That�s a very flattering thing, and a very good thing. When you say timeless�I always think, anything that�s good is modern and timeless. I mean, there�s nothing nostalgic about Beethoven, Chopin or any of these people. What�s good contains the ingredients of being good forever�if it�s really good. The music of Louis Armstrong or Duke Ellington isn�t old�fashioned; it�ll always be delicious. Certainly elements, like rhythm sections, can be heard to be from an earlier time . . . oh, sure. But you could take away the background from Louis, put it to a Basie rhythm section or whatever�it would always sound marvellous.

How do you feel about the recordings you�ve made so far with this group?

I feel very good about these recordings; they�re very special, and I�m very proud of them. I hate to say �some of my best playing� as though I�m Stravinsky or somebody�but I must say that I think it�s about the best playing I�ve done, on these things, because they�re so uncluttered, you know. At the risk of sounding conceited�I really think they sound very nice.

You�ve now signed with RCA. Have you recorded for them yet?

Yes, we�ve done �A Salute To Fred Astaire�; we did the tunes that were written for him, for movies, and that should be out very soon now. We played �em n lot ,of times at Ronnie�s. Actually, we�ve made ninety�six sides in the short amount of time that we�ve been together: that�s a lot of product out there. And more of it will be coming out; there�s e new one released, that�s around here, on Concord label, that we did live in San Francisco. There�s a marvellous jazz festival there that we did, and they recorded a Gershwin set of ours. For a live recording, it�s pretty good. We also went into the studios in New York for that same company, and did a Rodgers and Hart album which is very good. That�ll be very nice, when that comes out.

And have they always been with just the four musicians, without strings or anything added?

The only time we had twenty�two strings added to us was when we did some things with Tony Bennett. There�s a tune out called �All That Love Went To Waste,� from a picture called A Touch Of Class, and we recorded that with Tony; on the other side is that old song, �Some Of These Days�. Very beautiful string arrangements by Torrie Zito; they surrounded our quartet. Because we were doing concerts, just the quartet and Tony Bennett. We did twenty�three Rodgers and Hart tunes every night�it was quite a thing. So some of those we recorded ourselves, see. We said: �What the hell, we know them�might as well play them! � Sure, I�ve worked with Tony many times. He�s a great performer�probably one of the best in the world today.

So you seem to have made a thing of doing these collections, then?

Yeah. We always do projects like that. It�s a very good idea, and it�s fun to do research on it before you do it. Then you have a whole new batch of tunes to do; you can almost say : �Well, we�re gonna do an Ellington set tonight.� Or a Rodgers set, or an Irving Berlin set. And it makes it kinda fun, you know; it�s nice to have a little motive to build around.

What do you do in the way of arrangements�do you sit down and get ideas together?

We work them out, yes, and we keep polishing them and fooling with them, until they sound better. And we never record anything that we haven�t played millions of times on the road, to see how they feel, and ii anybody likes �em. Instead of a recording date, where you sit down and play things�all you have there is a date; you don�t have a performance. It�s got to be a performance. We know what we�re doing when we go to record; that�s really what makes big difference, I think. it�s very important.

Is a live recording helpful, in some respects?

There are advantages to a live recording. Of course, if there are things wrong, there�s nothing you can do about it. Perhaps you could rerecord it, but then you�d be cheating.

There are pros and cons to it. I like both.

You remember Dick Hyman was talking about the old Louis Armstrong things that he copied out and arranged for a big band, for the New York Jazz Repertory Company? Well, that was very successful, and George Wein is going to open this season�s Newport, New York festival with that show�the only difference being that our group is going to be by itself, playing the Armstrong set. And that will be recorded, live at Carnegie.

Which should be a lot of fun. Then we�re gonna tour with that package, all over the world, in the Fall: I�m looking forward to that. Also, we�ll be in Nice this Summer, like we were last year, when George started the Festival there. I hope it�s a little more successful this time. I think it�ll build as it goes alone; that�s the way those things are�they start out a little shady, and then they begin to pick up, as people get to think of it as a thing to do.

You�ve had quite a long�standing association with George Wein. Obviously, you regard him as a good man to work for.

It�s been about twenty�five to thirty years. George is a very good man. If there were just twenty�five more like him in the world, the world of music would be in very, very good shape. He�s done an awful lot for music. He�s made a lot of sacrifices, seen a lot of money lost. And, you know, a lot of people don�t realise the amount of work that goes into doing these things. It�s gigantic. It�s an enormous responsibility, and he�s able to handle it.

The driving force is his dedication to perpetuating good music.

Of course. Had he put the energies he�s put into this into anything else, he would be a multi�millionaire. He does it because he loves it�I think it�s wonderful. We need a lot of people like that. Where do you get �em?

Well, apart from him, there�s been Norman Granz . . .

Norman did many wonderful things in his years, when he was running things. Of course, those Jazz At The Philharmonic things weren�t quite the same. There he had a particular set group of people that worked around, with the players he used varying now and then. Whereas George Wein can be running twelve shows, with two hundred musicians in each one of �em, at the same time; so it�s a different thing, you know.

But Norman deserves a lot of credit; look at the wonderful recordings he made of .great people that he had faith in, and that you have around today because of his care. So I take my hat off to him. In both cases, I think it�s a belief in good musicianship, and a desire to make sure it doesn�t go under.

But a lot of good musicians have gone under, haven�t they?

That�s true. It�s very sad, but they have. Well, every art has that going on�I�m sure writers, painters, everybody runs into that. You just have to keep fighting for the right thing, and try to improve yourself all the time. It�s about the only defence against it.

Right through your career, you�ve stuck to your principles. I mean, you came on the scene when all the other young trumpeters were playing a more so�called modern style. Yet you were an anachronism, in that you were playing a modern�sounding version of earlier styles.

True, but anyone who sounds different will have trouble anywhere. It�s a natural thing; if you don�t step in line and follow everybody else, they don�t know what to do with you!

You never wanted to jump on the bebop bandwagon, did you?

No, I�ve never wanted to jump on any wagon but the music wagon. That�s all that interests me�trying to do things as well as I can.

Do you think that that �forties movement, turning jazz around in the way it did, has done it good in the long run?

There are aspects of it that have done good, and many aspects of it that have done harm. Very few of the people who copied Charlie Parker really understood him. All they did was copy a lot of his fast�sounding playing, without understanding the essence of him, what he was made of, where he came from. If they had, they would have learned how to play a melody as beautifully as he could. How come they couldn�t do that? Charlie Parker came from everything natural before him, from all the beauty. He played beautifully, not ugly. When he played a song, it was delicious to hear it. Those people never went to his sources.

I think a similar thing happened with John Coltrane. People picked on his ugliness, and glorified that.

Right. Exactly. And I talked to John Coltrane one time; I said: �Gee, you sounded wonderful just now when you played a pretty melody.� He said: �I�d like to play a lot of those, but my fans get mad at me if I don�t play all this other stuff. I don�t know what to do� and he was very confused about it. So it shows you how strange all that is. People always pick up on the wrong things, but the real artists, they know what to look for.

Copyright � 1975, Les Tomkins. All Rights Reserved.

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'If you can't say it in two minutes thirty, write a book'.

Col

Norbury South London

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karyobin

#5

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Nov 6 05 11:14 AM

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Ruby Braff with Buddy Tate & the Newport All Stars

Review by Scott Yanow

Cornetist Ruby Braff and tenor saxophonist Buddy Tate make for a very complementary team on this fine CD reissue which also includes pianist George Wein, bassist Jack Lesberg, and drummer Don Lamond. Several alternate takes and a previously unreleased "Lullaby of the Leaves" expand this fine session which has among its highlights enjoyable versions of "Mean to Me," "My Monday Date," "Take the 'A' Train," and "The Sheik of Araby." This is high-quality small-group swing by some of the best which was recorded at a time when the idiom was considered very much out of style by the modernists.

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'If you can't say it in two minutes thirty, write a book'.

Col

Norbury South London

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karyobin

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Nov 6 05 11:16 AM

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RUBY BRAFF

Beauty is the key word

Beauty is the key word Talking to Les Tomkins in 1975
Through the efforts of artists with integrity, such as yourself, there is a continued awareness of the value of inspired interpretation of good melodies. In fact, the wheel has tended to turn that way. Do you think such phenomenons as the Scott Joplin craze have been any help in this direction?

It�s true, to an extent, that there has been that trend. But I don�t care too much for revivals of ragtime. I thought it was very corny and rubbishy when I heard it in its original form, and it sounds much cornier and sillier when I hear someone doing it today. Sometimes I think they�re all necrophiliacs, you know. They don�t have to be going back and playing corny phrases like that; but if they wish to, that�s their problem. I mean, if you�re going to take Scott Joplin, I don�t think it�s your job to authenticate his corn. It should be your job to take it, find the beauty in it, smooth it out, make it wonderful, and adapt it to your style of playing. Who wants to play like Scott Joplin played three thousand years ago? It�s ridiculous.

But some of his tunes lend themselves to different treatments, as certain musicians have proved.

Of course. That�s what you�re supposed to do to them�fix �em. You�re not supposed to copy Louis Armstrong or Charlie Parker. You should learn from them, take the nice things out of �em, and make good use of �em. Look what Duke Ellington did�everything beautiful he ever heard in his life, be it jazz, classical music or anything, he found a way of incorporating into his great talent and feeling. When he made Tschaikovsky�s Nutcracker Suite, he didn�t try to compete with them and sound like a European classical orchestra, because that would have been silly. He put it to an Ellington sound, and I think if Tschaikovsky were alive and heard that, he�d love it. He�d say: �What is that wonderful thing? That�s beautiful.�

Well, I picked up that record just recently, in fact. I�d been looking for it.

Isn�t that wonderful? Yeah, I�d been looking for it for ages, and a guy in Washington laid it on me and I treasure it. It�s thrilling, isn�t it?.

Yes�I like the originals, and it�s fascinating to hear what Duke does with them.

Exactly. And I think anybody would love what he did to them. It�s fresh and pure, because it�s his heart and soul in �em. It�s not any kind of a self�conscious attempt to merge jazz and classics. Which makes no sense. Many guys have done that kind of stuff�tried to wed jazz with it. Doesn�t work. It�s never sounded good to me, when they�ve done that.

The idea of trying to give jazz a symphonic sound goes right back to the Paul Whiteman days, doesn�t it?

He was a very commercial man, probably a good businessman; I don�t think he had talents of any kind, you know. But because of his good business sense, he was able to make big contacts, and he was thereby afforded the opportunity to hire marvellously talented people. He was smart enough to get the Teagardens and Beiderbeckes. So his orchestra sounded very good because of that, plus some good arrangements. From a musical point of view, I don�t think it was anything that he did�not from my knowledge.

It is nice, though, to hear a good jazz soloist against strings, if it�s done the right way.

Oh, that�s lovely�sure is. Why, Lawrence Welk had the good sense and taste to record Johnny Hodges with a whole lot of strings. Now that�s wonderful. I think anybody that recorded Johnny Hodges with anything did the right thing!

Would you like the experience of recording with strings yourself?

I would like to do that. I never have; nobody�s ever asked me to. But I think it would be a nice feeling to do it�sort of provide you with a nice bed of sound.

Somebody should suggest it to Dick Hyman�he�s the man who could write it, I think.

Oh, I love him. He�s a wonderful pianist; everything he does, everything about him is wonderful. A great guy. I�m glad you got to meet him.

He�s another man who�s had to work in the commercial field, but at every possible opportunity he�s done the things he really loves.

That�s quite true. And in the commercial field, I guarantee you that whatever he�s done, he�s done the best it could possibly be done. He doesn�t know how to do a half a job. He�s great.

As a musician dedicated to perpetuating the glorious tone a trumpet can have, how do you feel about the way Miles Davis seems to be playing nowadays�making a kind of a �quacking� sound with the trumpet, by means of electronics.

Well, the things I�ve heard him do, it doesn�t sound very good to me. The shame of it is: he started out playing with such a beautiful tone. He had a very pure sound, I thought; he sounded like a classical trumpet player�you know what I mean. I don�t know why he went and messed around with it. But that�s his business, if, that�s what he wants to do.

If he wants to be in that kind of a scene, that�s all the better for us�let us play the old�fashioned music! If he calls it progress�very good. I thought progress was trying to get to sound like Heifetz!

It�s very sad to listen through a whole album and not hear that Miles Davis sound, when his name is on the record.

I think so, too. But apparently there are enough people that like it, that must buy his records�or he wouldn�t be operating. He does concerts; I�m sure he has a lot of people attend. He�s sort of like a sure�draw type of guy, I think. I don�t follow what goes on that much, but I would imagine he has a lot of fans.

He gives them what they want, I suppose. But what do you feel about the influx of electronic ideas into the jazz field?

It�s disgusting, it�s sickening, its prime motives are wrong. It�s gimmicky, and I�ve never liked fads and gimmicks. I don�t see anything wrong with the regular, normal sounds that instruments can make; I haven�t heard anything take their place that sounds as good. And I would never play with an electric bassist, or any of those kind of things. Electric guitar is something else, because they�re mellow, and they can be adjusted to sound right and pretty. The rest of them�they don�t make it. You know, who needs it? Why should a person learn for years how to play his horn nice, and then have it spoiled in one day by an ugly sound? Of course, those electric sounds are propagated by the people that manufacture that kind of stuff. Like stereo, double stereo, quadraphonic�what is all that? That�s a lot of baloney.

The most pleasurable records I ever heard ,were monaural�and I love �em. And I�ve heard a lot of people who know a lot about music say the same thing�they didn�t need all that fancy stuff. But okay�if you�re gonna have stereo, that�s fine�if you use it properly, it�s all right. You have to always be careful how you use these things, you know. Like, the submarine wasn�t invented to kill people; it was invented to study under�sea life. See, anything is only as good as how you use it; you�re supposed to make it beautiful. Beauty is the word.

Perhaps they�re getting back to it now, but for a while a lot of younger musicians seemed to forget that you had to swing.

Well, they didn�t forget�they never knew about it. They think that time is a magazine! They�re not prepared to work, to play, or anything. They don�t even know why they�re here, or what they�re doing here. It�s surely an accident that they have horns; it�s an age where nothings are allowed to be on the stage and to participate in things. Under any ordinary circumstances, in normal times, these people wouldn�t be allowed into a club or concert hall as spectators, let alone as practitioners. Quality has decayed to such a great extent in the art worlds�in everything. Painters, everybody. Suits�look at suits, how lousy they are.

So, naturally, you have a lot of garbage out there. But there�s no excuse for anybody to say: �Well, what do you expect! All I can hear is junk; so that�s all I know.� It�s a lie; there are millions of records of great things available for anyone that�s interested and wants to seek them out. The people who liked Louis Armstrong and all those marvellous players when they started, they didn�t have records or anything; they only had a few people around the street that they could hear, and that was it. Nobody in this world today has any excuse for not hearing Fats Waller, Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington�name it.

So�they�re just not interested. What they really want to do is �express themselves��and that�s pretension at its peak, because they have nothing to express. What can you express if you haven�t heard anything, if you don�t know anything? They don�t even realise the privilege of being allowed to express yourself. On top of it, they think they�re doing everybody a favour�that�s how completely warped they are.

But, despite these obstacles, there are good young musicians coming up , . .

When you say musicians, what do you mean? People that can play their horn well, or people that make music?

Well�people who are playing something that is valid musically.

Well, where are they? I haven�t been lucky enough to hear them yet. I hope I get to hear them. I�m looking forward to it; I�d love to hear some young cats play good.

For instance, some of the young musicians that Buddy Rich and Stan Kenton get in their bands have the right ideas, I think. They�re playing their instruments accurately, they�re reading music . . .

Oh yeah, that they can do. They come out of colleges, where they�re taught to do all that. But what kind of music are they playing when they play their horns? I don�t hear anything coming out of their horns but a lot of baloney. What good is learning to play your instrument well, if you have nothing to express on it? They haven�t an inkling of an idea of what goes into making a nice, finished piece of music.

But isn�t it the nature of any art that there are only a certain number of real virtuosi? I mean, people who express something that stands head and shoulders above the rest.

That is true. But years ago I think the musicians, even if they weren�t very talented, were closer to the roots of good music, and therefore even their attempts, for better or worse, were better than what I hear today. They weren�t concerned with ugliness; they were concerned with beauty. These guys just try to sound as ugly as they can�and that�s a drag, you know. I suppose this makes them feel like they�re rebels, and they�re fighting the Establishment. I think what they need is a good physic; it would be better for them. They�re fighting the only Establishment that they�ve ever known, that thus far has produced everything that�s worth�while on this planet�and I haven�t heard them produce a goddam� thing in their time. So what are they tearing down? I don�t know; it beats me.

It could perhaps be said that, since you came along earlier, the last great individual on the trumpet was Chet Baker.

Chet Baker is a very, very talented person�I�ve always loved the way he played. A great player, I agree. I don�t know what he does these days, or anything about him, but he used to play marvellously.

Well, I have a record by him, �She Was Too Good For Me,� on CTI, that he made last year, on which he sounds just as good as ever, instrumentally and vocally. It looks as if he�s overcome his problems and got back. And Paul Desmond is with him on a couple of tracks.

Then there you go�that�s marvellous, isn�t it? That makes me very happy. With Paul Desmond, you say? Oh, I love the way Paul plays, too. I wish I could hear him more often�well, both of them. Now that�s what I call good players�they know what they�re doing, they love good music, and they come from good music. Sure. Chet Baker� you touched on one of my favourites there.

He faced criticism, though, at one point; they said he was imitating Miles.

He never imitated Miles, or anybody. He always had his own individual way of playing, that was very beautiful. When he was with Gerry Mulligan, that little quartet that they had, he was playing and singing wonderfully. He�s a very musical person; I like him.

In the same way that you do, he has a very distinctive sound. When I hear a record either of him or yourself . . .

You know who�s playing, right. That�s true, I know what you mean, yeah. That�s the trouble today �I can�t tell who�s playing. They all sound alike, and they all sound like they�re playing the same chorus. That can�t be very good, you know; there�s gonna be something wrong with that. However, individualism is not important, unless it�s coupled with background. Because you can be individual, and sound like Clyde McCoy! Now, Chet Baker is individual and he sounds good. Stan Getz and Zoot Sims are individuals.

Ah, now you�ve mentioned my two favourite tenor players.

Mine, too, I love �em. I love Illinois Jacquet, too�he�s a beautiful player. Accused of honking? Even when he honked, he honked better than anybody�and he can play, anyway. He can do anything with that tenor; boy, he�s a virtuoso. Bud Freeman is an individual. Ben Webster, Pres and all these guys.

The sad thing is that a lot of them have gone now.

I know it. Well, you�ve got Bud, you�ve got Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Stan Getz. Not an awful lot of them, that I like, but . . . they�re around. I�ve heard Sonny Rollins get stomping there sometimes, you know. Al Cohn can play good. But I wish there were a whole lot more good players. I don�t know�there�ll always be good music, I�m sure. As long as people like pretty sounds, they�ll always find something nice. Of course, I think Buddy Rich is the giant of giants. I can just watch him play all day and all night and never get tired of it. I love him. He should insist on doing everything his way; he�s a great genius at what he does�why should anybody fight him? I think Buddy Rich should have his own nightly talk show on television�it�d be wonderful.

Well, I�ve talked to him for nine years running now, and every time there�s still more to say.

You bet. Oh, when I see him play, I get very, very excited. I mean, I�m a fan of his; I just go to watch him play. His big band stuff that I�ve heard is too wild for me, sorta leaning towards a rock sound; I like to hear him with more of a regular band. But I don�t care�he makes it all believable and possible. I think I could hear the worst music in the world and like it, if he was playing it. He provides such excitement and electricity to everything.

I think he�s one of those special, rare people who raise the level of everything, wherever they are. Duke Ellington was another one.

Yeah�that�s what makes a giant. That�s why Buddy Rich is a giant. Print that, because I want everybody in the world that plays the drums to go and watch him. I think you should watch him, no matter what you play�he�ll make you play better. Just looking at him playing makes you want to practise! A few weeks ago, I watched him making a record, a loud, rock kind of a thing�and there he was, making it all marvellous. He had all kinds of guys there, but boy, did he play good. He just puts everything he�s got into it. He made a record recently with Zoot Sims and Bucky Pizzarelli, where he and Zoot sing �Gee, Baby, Ain�t I Good To You?� It sounds wonderful�they both sound great singing.

Oh, I love to hear Zoot sing.

Well, get that little record; you�ll enjoy it. It�s very good. Oh, I like to hear Zoot do anything. I like to hear Buddy do anything. For heaven�s sake�1 think Buddy Rich ought to make a record tap�dancing!

Copyright � 1975, Les Tomkins. All Rights Reserved.

'If you can't say it in two minutes thirty, write a book'.

Col

Norbury South London

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karyobin

#7

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Nov 6 05 11:21 AM

QUOTE

Hear Me Talkin'

Review by Scott Yanow

This is a fun Dixieland/swing date featuring cornetist Ruby Braff with an octet led by the fine English trumpeter Alex Welsh. In addition to the two leads, trombonist Roy Williams, tenor-saxophonist Al Gay and baritonist Johnny Barnes get some solo space on the mixture of standards, 1920s obscurities (including Don Redman's "No One Else but You") and basic originals. Everyone sounds in a good mood and is heard swinging in prime form throughout this recommended CD reissue.

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On Sunnie's Side of the Street

Review by Scott Yanow

Cornetist Ruby Braff teams up with the great stride pianist Ralph Sutton, bassist Milt Hinton and drummer Mousey Alexander for these informal live sessions recorded in 1968. The quartet plays predictably excellent and swinging versions of seven familiar standards with the highpoints including "Someday Sweetheart" "I Found a New Baby," "I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby" and "St. Louis Blues." This collector's LP, recorded at a time when this style of music was being neglected, will be difficult to find but is worth the search.

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Plays Louis Armstrong

Review by Scott Yanow

This obscure LP will be difficult to find but should be placed high on most Ruby Braff fans' want list. Accompanied by pianist George Wein, guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Larry Ridley and drummer Don Lamond, Braff investigates eight songs that Louis Armstrong played, generally avoiding the obvious ones in favor of tunes such as "Cornet Chop Suey," "It's Wonderful" and "I'm Thankful." As usual Braff pours plenty of passion and sincere feeling into each note and, even though he never really sounds like Armstrong (he always had a distinctive sound of his own), Braff recaptures Satch's spirit. Other highlights include "I've Got Aa Feeling I'm Falling," "Swing That Music" and "Someday You'll Be Sorry." (Issued on CD with seven additional tracks from the same session, though Braff was replaced by Red Norvo in the group. - Ed.)

'If you can't say it in two minutes thirty, write a book'.

Col

Norbury South London

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Muddylives

#8

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 5141

Nov 6 05 11:50 AM

Thanks, K!

Indeed, Ruby Braff had a beautiful sound. I also listen to him fairly often, and with great pleasure.

Braff also had some of the most conservative ideas about jazz imaginable. He never even accepted bebop, and was readily willing to trash everything and anyone associated with modern jazz. People complain about Marsalis, but Braff makes Wynton look like a jazz radical. !

Muddy

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karyobin

#9

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Posts: 3600

Nov 6 05 1:23 PM

QUOTE (Muddylives @ Nov 6 2005, 11:50 AM)

People complain about Marsalis, but Braff makes Wynton look like a jazz radical. !

Muddy

That he did, usually between numbers and with a sarcasm that boardered on the libelus

K

'If you can't say it in two minutes thirty, write a book'.

Col

Norbury South London

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Boxcar Shorty

#10

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 755

Nov 8 05 3:31 AM

My favorite Ruby Braff recordings are the duo sides he did with pianist Ellis Larkins in the 50's - available on two Vanguard CDs.
Vanguard has also released various tracks of prime 1950's Braff on Mel Powell's The Best Things in Life, Vic Dickenson's Nice Work, and The Essential Buck Clayton.

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karyobin

#11

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Posts: 3600

Nov 8 05 1:34 PM

The Best Of The Ruby Braff with the George Barnes Quartet

QUOTE

Ruby Braff & the George Barnes Quartet Play Gershwin

Ruby Braff with the George Barnes Quartet

Review by Scott Yanow

The Ruby Braff-George Barnes Quartet (comprised of cornetist Braff, Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitars and bassist Michael Moore) recorded five albums within a two-year period and all are well worth getting. For this live set from the 1974 Concord Jazz Festival, the group explores 11 Gershwin songs with consistent success. The melodic swing group (a perfect setting for Braff) is heard at its best on "'S Wonderful," "I Got Rhythm," "But Not for Me," "Love Walked In" and "They Can't Take That Away from Me."

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Plays Rodgers & Hart
Ruby Braff and the George Barnes Quartet

Review by Scott Yanow
For the fourth of five recordings made by the classic Ruby Braff-George Barnes Quartet, ten songs by Rodgers and Hart are given melodic, swinging, creative treatment. Cornetist Braff and guitarist Barnes fed off of each other and worked very well together, while rhythm guitarist Wayne Wright and bassist Michael Moore always gave them impeccable support. Highlights of this enjoyable set include "Isn't It Romantic," "Blue Room," "You Took Advantage of Me" and "The Lady Is a Tramp."

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To Fred Astaire with Love
Ruby Braff

Review by Scott Yanow

The final recorded collaboration between cornetist Ruby Braff and guitarist George Barnes (in a quartet with rhythm guitarist Wayne Wright and bassist Michael Moore) features concise versions of ten songs (all but one is under three minutes) introduced in the 1930s by Fred Astaire. Although this LP is not essential, the arrangements make the veteran standards (which include "Cheek to Cheek," "They Can't Take That Away from Me," "A Shine on Your Shoes" and "They All Laughed") sound fresh and lively. Astaire himself approved of the project.

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'If you can't say it in two minutes thirty, write a book'.

Col

Norbury South London

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karyobin

#12

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Posts: 3600

Nov 8 05 1:36 PM

QUOTE

Ruby Braff with the Ed Bickert Trio

Ruby Braff

Review by Scott Yanow

With the breakup of his quartet with guitarist George Barnes (which had become less spontaneous and more arranged during its final period), cornetist Ruby Braff was again touring as a single and free to play as he liked. On this sparse quartet record with three fine Canadian musicians (the cool-toned guitarist Ed Bickert, bassist Don Thompson and drummer Terry Clarke), Braff stretches out on ten superior standards including Cole Porter's "True Love," "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise," the obscure "After Awhile," "What Is There to Say" and "The Song Is Ended." A fine example of Braff's passionate style.

'If you can't say it in two minutes thirty, write a book'.

Col

Norbury South London

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karyobin

#13

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Nov 8 05 1:38 PM

QUOTE

Ruby and Woody

Recording Date

Mar 12, 1980-Mar 13, 1980

Review by Scott Yanow
This is a release that will inspire veteran collectors to scratch their heads, wondering why it does not look familiar. Although it does not say so anywhere on the outside cover and the CD looks like a reissue, the music on this 1980 recording was never out before this disc's 1998 release. Cornetist Ruby Braff, noting at the time that Woody Herman was in town with his big band, mentioned to producer George Avakian that he had never recorded with Herman before and would love to someday. Soon they were teamed up with a very compatible rhythm section (pianist John Bunch, rhythm guitarist Wayne Wright, bassist Michael Moore and drummer Jake Hanna) and recorded 11 songs in a two-day period. Because Herman's playing chops were a bit off, he decided to leave his alto at home and stick exclusively to clarinet. The cornet/clarinet frontline blends together quite well, and Herman's six vocals are delightful. Of greatest interest are the humorous lyrics on a cooking "Sheik of Araby" that deal with the oil shortage of the time. Other memorable selections include "Rose Room," "Solitude," "It Had to Be You" and "I Cried For You." In addition, there are three alternate takes and producer Avakian relates the story behind the one-time collaboration for seven minutes. Woody Herman did not record that many small-group sessions in his later years, but sounds excellent herem while Ruby Braff is heard throughout in top form, clearly being quite happy to be playing with the veteran clarinetist. Well worth picking up.

'If you can't say it in two minutes thirty, write a book'.

Col

Norbury South London

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karyobin

#14

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Nov 11 05 9:48 AM

QUOTE

A First

Review by Scott Yanow

Although it is implied with its title that this was the first collaboration between cornetist Ruby Braff and tenor-saxophonist Scott Hamilton, they had recorded a date back in December 1983 for the Swedish Phontastic label. Accompanied by Hamilton's regular quartet of the period (pianist John Bunch, guitarist Chris Flory, bassist Phil Flanigan and drummer Chuck Riggs), Braff and Hamilton inspire each other and play some explosive and consistently passionate solos. Highlights include a surprisingly hard-swinging "Rockin' Chair," "Dinah," "All My Life" and "Bugle Blues." Recommended.

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'If you can't say it in two minutes thirty, write a book'.

Col

Norbury South London

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karyobin

#15

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Posts: 3600

Nov 11 05 9:49 AM

QUOTE

A Sailboat in the Moonlight

Review by Scott Yanow

Taken from the same sessions as A First, this collaboration between veteran cornetist Ruby Braff and the relatively young tenor great Scott Hamilton lives up to its potential. With strong assistance from pianist John Bunch, guitarist Chris Flory, bassist Phil Flanigan and drummer Chuck Riggs, Braff and Hamilton are a perfect team on such joyful swing tunes as "A Sailboat in the Moonlight," "'Deed I Do," "Jeepers Creepers" and "Sweethearts on Parade." All eight selections (even the obscure "Milkman's Matinee") are well wotth hearing, making this a highly recommended set.

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'If you can't say it in two minutes thirty, write a book'.

Col

Norbury South London

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karyobin

#16

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Posts: 3600

Nov 11 05 10:01 AM

QUOTE

Music From My Fair Lady

Review by Scott Yanow

The many Lerner & Loewe songs written for the play My Fair Lady have long been rightfully acclaimed. Even with several decades of fine recordings, this duet set by cornetist Ruby Braff and pianist Dick Hyman is one of the finest interpretations of the famous music. Braff and Hyman come up with new ideas during melodic versions of such songs as "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "I Could Have Danced All Night," "On the Street Where You Live," and "Get Me to the Church on Time," among others. Every Braff-Hyman collaboration is well worth getting, and this set is no exception.

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'If you can't say it in two minutes thirty, write a book'.

Col

Norbury South London

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karyobin

#17

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Posts: 3600

Nov 11 05 10:02 AM

QUOTE

Songhounds Vol 1

Review by Scott Yanow

Cornetist Ruby Braff and tenor-saxophonist Scott Hamilton have teamed up on several memorable occasions. On the first of two CD volumes Braff and Hamilton are joined by a fine quartet ("The New England Songhounds") which is comprised of guitarist Howard Alden, pianist Dave McKenna, bassist Frank Tate and drummer Alan Dawson. Alternating stomps with warm ballads, the horns sound at their best on such numbers as "I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby," "This Can't Be Love," "My Shining Hour," "Down in Honky Tonk Town" and "More than You Know." Highly recommended to mainstream and straightahead jazz fans.

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'If you can't say it in two minutes thirty, write a book'.

Col

Norbury South London

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karyobin

#18

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Posts: 3600

Nov 11 05 10:03 AM

QUOTE

Live at the Regattabar

Review by Scott Yanow

In the 1970s, Ruby Braff had his most popular group, a two-guitar quartet that he co-led with George Barnes. In 1993, he revisited the format by recording with guitarists Gray Sargent and Jon Wheatley and bassist Marshall Wood. The music is similar to that played with the earlier group, except that this time both guitarists are able soloists. The cornetist always excels in sparse settings (making every note count) and he sounds quite happy playing with this swinging group. Among the more memorable selections are an emotional "It's Wonderful," "Do It Again," "No One Else but You," "Crazy Rhythm," and "Give My Regards to Broadway." Braff takes a departure on his original "Orange" by making his recording debut on piano. Ruby Braff fans will certainly enjoy this fine release.

'If you can't say it in two minutes thirty, write a book'.

Col

Norbury South London

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karyobin

#19

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Posts: 3600

Nov 11 05 10:06 AM

QUOTE

Braff Plays Wimbledon: The First Set

Review by Scott Yanow

Cornetist Ruby Braff sound fine on this set for the British label Zephyr. Most of the selections find him taking passionate and typically lyrical solos on swing standards in a quintet with pianist Brian Lemon, guitarist Howard Alden, bassist Dave Green and drummer Allan Ganley. A few numbers add Warren Vache on flugelhorn and trombonist Roy Williams, but perhaps due to too much mutual respect, few fireworks fly. One would hope that Braff and Vache would match wits against each other, but this is largely Braff's show. Still, the music overall (which is highlighted by "Someday Sweetheart," "I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling" and "China Boy") should please trad jazz and mainstream collectors.

QUOTE

Braff Plays Wimbledon: The Second

Review by Scott Yanow

Although cornetist Ruby Braff is joined on this set by flugelhornist Warren Vache, trombonist Roy Williams, guitarist Howard Alden, pianist Brian Lemon, bassist Dave Green and drummer Allan Ganley, Vache's role is, in reality, minor (mostly just ensemble parts with a few short solos) and Williams is only on a few numbers, although he plays very well. Fortunately, Braff is in prime form throughout, even better here than on The First Set; the phrase "adoration of the melody" (which he coined a few decades ago) perfectly fits his lyrical improvisations. The repertoire consists of veteran standards and the highlights include "I Cried for You," "Pennies From Heaven" and "I Know That You Know," although all nine selections are quite enjoyable. Braff, a master at utilizing his lower register, sometimes has a musical conversation with himself, jumping between registers. Swing pianist Lemon sounds inspired throughout, while guitarist Alden has a few good spots. A typically rewarding Ruby Braff session.

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'If you can't say it in two minutes thirty, write a book'.

Col

Norbury South London

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karyobin

#20

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Posts: 3600

Nov 11 05 10:11 AM

QUOTE

Music for the Still of the Night

Review by Ken Dryden

Don't be misled by the title of Ruby Braff's CD; this is not a collection of slow ballads. It consists of some of the most swinging interpretations of timeless standards as only the veteran cornetist can play them. Accompanied by some of his favorite musicians (all of whom are outstanding), including guitarist Howard Alden, pianist John Bunch, bassist Michael Moore, and drummer Kenny Washington (who had not previously recorded with Braff), he makes all of the music seem fresh no matter how familiar one might be with the song. Braff's lyricism, his ability to leave plenty of space for the music to breath, his emphasis on the beauty of each melody, and the occasional use of interwoven solos (instead of everybody taking a couple of choruses in consecutive order) are all essential ingredients to Braff's masterful recipe for great jazz. "Can't We Be Friends?" (which will get anyone's feet tapping), "Willow Weep for Me" (with Braff's cornet taking on an almost vocal quality), and the brisk swinger "Linger Awhile" are among the many highlights of this superb release. Music for the Still of the Night should be in the library of any swing fan.

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'If you can't say it in two minutes thirty, write a book'.

Col

Norbury South London

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