JAMES T BRAXTON

James T. Braxton cradles his tenor saxophone and gingerly gives the brass instrument a kiss. "This one's No. 1," he said glancing affectionately at Berniece Braxton, his wife of 55 years. Music has been an integral part of the family for generations. As a child growing up in Oklahoma, Braxton said he learned to first play the piano and then later the saxophone and violin in band classes at Booker T. Washington in Tulsa. "My father sang in the church and community choirs ... he had a rich voice, and encouraged us in music." But after graduating from high school, Braxton decided to pursue a career in plumbing, entering Tuskegee Institute, "one of the best trade schools in the country," he said, adding with a laugh, "If I'd stayed there, I'd be a rich plumber right now." Instead, he took a sabbatical after two years when a college friend told him about his summer read more...