Babe Russin

If a contest was held to see what tenor saxophonist had appeared on the most records or played on the most gigs, the winner would no doubt be someone like Babe Russin, about whom even experienced jazz listeners might respond with something in the nature of "who?" Born Irving Russin in Pittsburgh in the early 1900s, Russin began playing professionally with the California Ramblers in 1926, when he was only 15 years old. He toured in Europe in 1928 and then came to New York where he worked in bands led by trumpeter Red Nichols, a relationship that was briefly interrupted by a run...