AMERICAN MUSIC SERIES                                                                  306 a-f

Willie Ruff

With Jack Vees

New Haven, Connecticut

May 18, 2000

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Side a                                                                                                             pp. 1-17

Influence of W. C. Handy:  his visit to Sheffield School in Alabama—influence of Handy’s autobiography:  The Father of the Blues—going into the military—early musical experiences—Theodore Thomas, conductor—playing drum in the Army—learning to play the French horn—playing horn in a band at an all black air base in Ohio—meeting Dwike Mitchell—playing concert versions of marches.

Side b                                                                                                                        pp. 17-37

Touring with parade band—acceptance at Yale—hearing Gillespie, Hampton and Ellington—learning the bass—playing on the radio with Dwike Mitchell—coming to Yale—music in New Haven:  jazz, the New Haven Symphony, Yale—effect of TV on our musical world—taking Hindemith’s course at Yale and singing in his Collegium—Mel Powell—playing with Benny Goodman—living in New Haven—doing pre-med and studying music at Yale—studying with Keith Wilson—playing in the New Haven Symphony and in the university orchestra—integration of orchestras—auditioning for and performing with Lionel Hampton’s band.

Side c                                                                                                             pp. 37-41

Establishing his duo with Dwike Mitchell—auditioning for Erich Leinsdorf in preparation for trip to Israel with Hamton—playing at the Apollo Theater in New York City.

Side d                                                                                                            pp. 41-61

Duo with Dwike Mitchell—working as a horn player in New York City—Gil Evans approach to jazz—playing sessions with Leonard Cohen—working with Strayhorn—moving to California—studying composition with Ingolf Dahl and film scoring with David Raksin, Steven Spielberg—work with Quincy Jones, Oliver Nelson, Lalo Schifrin New York City—Coltrane’s Giant Step solo—Benny Carter—orchestration with Sidney Fine—Bernard Herrmann—cultural milieu in Hollywood at the time—teaching the history of Afro-American music at U.C.L.A.—film about Tuskegee Airmen—Sarah Vaughan—Carmen McRae—Aretha Franklin—Charlie Smith—traveling to Europe with the trio—other jazz artists living in Europe—moving back East—teaching at Yale—setting up the Ellington Fellowship:  outstanding roster of musicians—traveling in Bali and Africa.

Side e                                                                                                             pp. 61-78

Hearing gamelan music in Bali—hearing Count Basie’s band live—working with Basie—Basie’s band compared with Ellington’s—playing opposite Basie—collaboration of Basie and Ellington—travel to Africa to hear Pygmy music—researching African music—going to China with Dwike Mitchell—going to St. Marks in Venice—improvisation—where music he’s played is going—Wynton Marsalis—“graying” of the audience—popular music of the black community—influence of recordings.

Side f                                                                                                             pp.78-82

Artists cheated by record companies—Internet—W. C. Handy.