How I Lose Piano Players

By Ruby Braff

January 9, 1957

[Ed. note: jazz trumpeter Reuben "Ruby" Braff died in 2003. He drew together many pre-WW II styles into his playing, mainly Louis Armstong, Bunny Berigan and Harry James. Beginning in the 1950s he recorded with many greats of jazz, including a series with Dick Hyman (pictured here with Ruby on the right) on organ.

Braff was renowned—especially among musicians—for his strong "pull-no-punches" opinions on jazz and its players, and he was not shy about expressing them, frequently in the form of articles and interviews in jazz magazines such as Down Beat, Metronome and Jazz Beat. This article, reproduced (with permission) from a 1957 issue of Down Beat, was sent to us by a listener in Gainesville, FL.]

For years it has been my misfortune to be dragged by piano players because I love that instrument and its possibilities so. I lose more pianists that way, but it can't be helped.

It seems that playing piano is too much of a job for the average piano player. Most persons started playing piano because it was conveniently at their disposal. Had they attempted some instrument not connected with the rhythm section, they would have had to realize that it's no fun to accompany the pianist, because he's got more control than anyone else in the band.

The pianist has two chances to destroy you—with rhythm and with harmony. As a rule, he does both. Even some of the biggest names on piano can't play behind anyone. They're constantly soloing.

A pianist in a jazz group has to be a doctor, otherwise someone has to get hurt. Look at the things a pianist must have in addition to what the other guys must have.

Every jazz musician has to be a drummer in his playing. Every phrase, if it's any good, must be rhythmical as well as anything else. So, consciously or otherwise, all players have to drum. Many players don't have a beat but sound good because the guys in the rhythm section are wailing so well. Conversely, some players play so outstandingly well that the untrained ear doesn't know that they're playing in spite of their bad rhythm section.

The pianist must control the orchestra which he has at his fingertips, so that it does not interfere with the flow of the bass feeling and so the harmonies he's playing are helping instead of channeling the soloist. The pianist must consciously be a student of percussion.

Through the years, people have mentioned the great bands of Duke Ellington and Count Basie and others. They always have taken note of the soloists in these bands, some of whom weren't that great.

Many persons who think about Duke think only of his ability in arranging and composition. Few realize that when Duke is at the piano, he is drumming behind the soloists the greatest, like Count, but with his individuality still coming through. Duke has a wonderful touch. It's not noticed as much because behind a solo he's playing in the background where he's supposed to be—not the foreground!

From what I have seen or heard, generally speaking, people think about the Basie band of a few years ago as a great band of great soloists. It's no mistake, but the reason for the nice things they had the opportunity to develop is the guy relatively few know about, the Count himself.

It was Basie's conception that paved the way for the so-called modern rhythm sections, which, in most cases, are way out of control.

One might think there should be a million ways to play piano behind someone, but I don't think so. All the great pianists have ended up (without them getting together and conspiring) with the same things in common in their playing behind a soloist, varied as their styles may have been, or are. The more the soloist would play, the less the pianist would play and the more percussive he'd try to get.

Now pianists play whole-note chimes and figures behind you. What a favor!