Ruby Braff / George Barnes Quartet – Salutes Rodgers And Hart

Ruby Braff / George Barnes Quartet – Salutes Rodgers And Hart

A refined and deeply melodic tribute to one of the greatest songwriting duos in American popular music, Salutes Rodgers And Hart brings together cornetist Ruby Braff and guitarist George Barnes in an intimate, highly musical quartet setting.

The album focuses on the timeless catalogue of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, whose work defined the elegance and emotional wit of the Great American Songbook. Stripped-down arrangements place the emphasis on interplay, nuance, and phrasing rather than orchestral scale, allowing Braff’s warm, singing cornet tone and Barnes’ fluid guitar lines to shine in conversational harmony.

Across these performances, the quartet treats each composition with reverence but never stiffness - balancing swing, lyricism, and understated sophistication. From the breezy charm of Mountain Greenery to the bittersweet elegance of Spring Is Here, the album captures the essence of Rodgers & Hart’s songwriting through pure, small-group jazz expression.

This is chamber jazz at its most graceful: subtle, swinging, and endlessly listenable.

Tracklist:

1 Mountain Greenery – 2:53
2 Isn’t It Romantic – 2:12
3 Blue Room – 2:44
4 Small Hotel – 4:19
5 Thou Swell – 2:59
6 I Wish I Were In Love Again – 2:07
7 Lover – 3:53
8 You Took Advantage Of Me – 4:20
9 Spring Is Here – 2:37
10 The Lady Is A Tramp – 3:08