[Dixielandjazz] Ruby Braff

[Chuck Kercher]

Great report, Jim. I liked the comparison to "T."  The quotes were a pleasure as well as the report of Ruby's admiration for Louis. As an aside did you ever read the quote from Bobby Hackett about going around town with Louis? About entering an establishment,he said, "It was as if you were walking into a place accompanied by God."
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: JimDBB at aol.com 
  To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com 
  Sent: Friday, February 14, 2003 9:34 PM
  Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Ruby Braff


  In a message dated 2/14/03 7:44:22 PM Central Standard Time, james at jiming.demon.co.uk writes:



    Did I miss something? Ruby Braff passed away and I have so far seen no
    >comments on the list.
    >Surely someone must have some reminiscences of the man?
    >Brian Harvey


  Jim Denham's reply to this was just right.  Brian is right, there should be a lot of commentary on Ruby Braff.  Ruby was very quotable as he was an unrepentent curmudgeon and a master of outrageous comment on other musicians.  And      masterful comments on music and his favorite musicians, as well.

  I first met Ruby at a party in Toronto in 1968.  I was there with Bob Scobey and one night Ruby came in and plunked himself right down in front of the band.  He gave an attentive ear to Scobey's trumpet playing.  At a party later that night, Ruby lit into a 2 hour dissertation on Louis Armstrong that was absolutely fascinating.
  Ruby had been working with Benny Goodman and he said that Goodman was pathologically jealous of Armstrong and to nourish that, Ruby would cut out every good review that he found about Louis and would place it on Benny's music stand.

  Ruby worshipped Louis Armstrong and told of going to see him at a club in New York he was performing in.  Ruby ended up sitting at a table with Lennie Tristano. During the set Louis played a very slow and beautiful , "Tenderly."  At the end Tristano remarked to Ruby, " I don't get it , what is so great about this guy."  With this, Ruby jumped up and shouted at Lennie, " Now I know why your music is so fucking lousy, you don't know good music when you hear it."

  To me, Ruby Braff's musicality is on a lofty par with Jack Teagarden. Both had a beautiful and very personal sound, a marvelous sense of melodic line along with an innate creative harmonic sense.  And all of this brought together and made possible with a unique and very flexible technique.  Very few cornetists/trumpeters can get around their horns with the ease and facillity that Ruby Braff could.

  The brilliant British jazz writer and radio presenter Steve Voce has hours of recorded conversations with Ruby.  Many are hoping that these will be made available either as recordings or transcribed in print.

  There is one interview, written, I think, by Whitney Balliett for the New Yorker in which Ruby carries on about playing in clubs.  Surprisingly, Ruby candidly Ruby says that he likes to hear people talking, glasses clinking, the waiter dropping a tray and things like that.  To him it meant that people were alive and engaged in life'... or something like that, I"ve forgotten his exact words.

  I wonder if anybody has access to that interview and could post it.

  Ruby Braff was devoted to the 'Adoration of the Melody' but we should not forget that he was a very capable of playing Dixieland Jazz and could play very good ensemble.  He was absolutely one of the greats.

  Jim Beebe






       JEm 


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