Willie Ruff

Willie Ruff and pianist Dwike Mitchell will always be best-known for their work as the Mitchell-Ruff Duo. Ruff was well educated, earning a Masters of Music from Yale University in 1954. He had worked a bit with Benny Goodman while still at Yale, and after his graduation he had an on-and-off association with Lionel Hampton. Dwike Mitchell, whom Ruff had met back in 1947, was Hampton's pianist, and soon they formed their successful duo. In addition to his bass, Ruff doubled on French horn, which he had learned while in the Army in the late '40s. In addition to their many concer...