CD1
1. Medley: My Funny Valentine/My Heart Stood Still/Be Careful It's My Heart
2. Have A Heart
3. Says My Heart
4. Nobody's Heart
5. Break My Heart
6. My Foolish Heart
7. Sweethearts On Parade
8. Blues In My Heart
9. This Heart Of Mine
10. Beware My Heart
11. Medley: Love Walked In/Embraceable You/The Man I Love
12. Love Is Sweeping The Country
13. Of Thee I Sing
14. For You, For Me, For Evermore
15. I've Got A Crush On You
16. Oh, Lady Be Good
17. Maybe
CD2
1. True Love
2. I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling
3. This Year's Kisses
4. The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise
5. The Very Thought Of You
6. After Awhile
7. What Is There To Say?
8. My Funny Valentine
9. Medley: The Song Is Ended/When I Fall In Love
10. I Must Have That Man
11. If Dreams Come True
12. Medley: Trumpeter Blow Your Golden Horn/Do It Again
13. Isn't It A Pity?
14. He Loves And She Loves
Ruby Braff - Cornet
Gene DiNovi - Piano (tracks I/1-17, II/12-14)
Ed Bickert - Guitar (tracks II/1-11)
Don Thompson - Bass (tracks II/1-11)
Terry Clarke - Drums (tracks II/1-11)
Ruby Braff has often recorded in small groups, which suit him well because all he really needs is a minimal backing for his beautiful musical statements.
The duets between Ruby Braff and Gene DiNovi on this double CD were recorded in Toronto in 1984, and the quartet was recorded there in 1979.
Pianist Gene DiNovi cites his main influences as Teddy Wilson, Mel Powell, Ellis Larkins and Duke Ellington - all pianists with elegant taste. Ellis
Larkins recorded some celebrated duets with Ruby Braff in 1955 and 1972, which proved that Braff needs a delicate pianist who is not going to drown him
out. Gene DiNovi is another such pianist. Like Larkins, he is experienced in accompanying singers: a task which demands subtlety and which prepares a
pianist for accompanying the singing cornet of Ruby Braff.
Most of the second CD puts Braff in a quartet which includes substantial players Don Thompson and Terry Clarke. Yet they don't drown out Braff either, and
Ed Bickert supplies ideally gentle accompaniment and inventive solos. But it is good for Ruby to be challenged occasionally, and Terry Clarke's dynamic
drumming adds sparkle to such tracks as I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling. Terry even swaps fours with Ruby on The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise.
Gene DiNovi sings on a few tracks but his mediocre vocals add little to the album. Yet who cares when you have the mellow Ruby Braff with sympathetic
accompanists for more than 140 minutes?
Tony Augarde
www.augardebooks.co.uk
CD Reviews
Sachville SK2CD 5005
