Ruby Braff

Reuben "Ruby" Braff ( born March 16, 1927 in Boston, Massachusetts, † February 9, 2003 in Chatham, Massachusetts ) was an American cornetist of swing jazz.

Braff played in the 1940s in the Boston area and went from 1947 in New York clubs. In 1949 he played with the band of clarinetist Edmond Hall at the Savoy Cafe in Boston, where he also played with Pee Wee Russell. In 1953 he moved back to New York City, where he played 1953/54, with the Vic Dickenson Septet. Braff, who followed a rather unique way and "Vintage Jazz" in the 1920s, 1930s played in succession by Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke ( he called it simply Adoration of the melody ), was very popular in the sequence. In the 1950s, it was because of the flexibility and warmth of its sound and technically a model ( its original Desire instrument was the saxophone). He played with Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Buck Clayton, Bud Freeman, Ellis Larkins, but in the late 1950s difficulties commitment had to be found. His childhood friend George Wein came to his aid, who regularly gave him in his Storyville Club in Boston and commitment to the Newport caught up with him in the 1960s and 1970s All Stars. In the 1970s he formed a piano -less quartet with guitarist George Barnes, at that time very successful, and the only collaboration that lasted him about a year, until they, too, ended in 1975 in the battle (he was for his often brusque, offensive behavior infamous). 1971-1973 he worked with the singer Tony Bennett. He also played a lot with pianist Dick Hyman (Album America the beautiful on Arbors Records). He took 1991/1992 for Concord Ruby Braff and his New England song hounds to 1.2 and with saxophonist Scott Hamilton Bravura eloquence, 1990, With an Extra bit of luck in 1989, Younger than Swing Time 1990 ( the latter two with Dick Hyman ), and finally in 1996 Inside & Out with Roger Kellaway.

Disco Graphical Notes

• The Complete Duets ( Definitive, 1955) with Ellis Larkins
• Calling Berlin: Volume 1 ( Arbors Records, 1994) with Bucky Pizzarelli, Ellis Larkins
• Inside Out ( Concord, 1995) with Roger Kellaway
• Braff Plays Wimbledon: First Set ( Zephyr, 1996) with Warren Vache, Brian Lemon, Howard Alden, Allan Ganley