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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. ~ Scott Yanow