Ruby braff biography

Born Reuben Braff on March 16, 1927, in Boston, MA; died on February 9, 2003, in North Chatham, MA. Addresses: Record company--Arbors Records, 2189 Cleveland St., Suite 225, Clearwater, FL 33765.

Ruby Braff reigned supreme on the cornet for more than 50 years, beginning his career in the bebop era and experiencing his most active period from the 1970s onward.

He was noted for his warm musical tone, a bizarre sense of humor, and a mercurial temper. "I like to entertain people," he told Gordon Spencer in the World and I. "I want to make people happy." He embellished his live programs with fictitious monologues about his ongoing relationship with the Queen of England and the phone calls he received from Scotland Yard to help solve cases.

Braff was also noted for his abrasive disposition, a personality trait that occasionally hurt him professionally. He remained committed to Dixieland and swing, and watched his chosen style move from popular in the 1940s to out-of-date in the 1950s