Another great name in jazz horn playing is Willie Ruff. He was born in Sheffield, Alabama in September 1, 1931. He played horn and bass and became famous for his life long collaboration with Dwike Mitchell in the Mithcell-Ruff Duo. Working together for over 50 years, they carved some history with some of the greatest musicians of all time, such as Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Sonny Stitt, Benny Golson, Quincy Jones, Gil Evans and Miles Davis. He was also a professor at Yale between 1971 - 2017, teaching music history, ethnomusicology and arranging.
This album, "The Smooth Side Of Willie Ruff" is one of his two solo works, and features a more easy listening blues record. It has been a while I don listen to this work and I forgot how hip this is! Ruff's sound is very smooth as the title of the record suggests, and he delivers a bluesy language that flirts with bebop at times.
Ruff was an spiritual person and recorded an album named "Gregorian Chant, Plain Chant and Spirituals (Live)". This album recorded entirely on the solo horn, has a depth of emotion that is characteristic to Willie.
Most of his discography is with the Mitchell-Ruff Duo. One of my favorite recordings is the one in which they perform the "Suite For The Duo" by Billy Strayhorn, and this piece was written by him not long after a surgery he had and shortly before his death. After a Mitchell-Ruff performance, Strayhorn came to talk to Willie about specifics of the horn and how to write for it, leaving Ruff in disbelief that the composer of "Take The A Train" would compose something for them. After weeks working with Stray, Duke Ellington and Mitchell, they put together the Suite For The Duo, a piece that translates the feelings Billy had prior to his passing.
Never stop swingin'!
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