Johnny GRIFFIN 1996
Johnny GRIFFIN 1996Johnny GRIFFIN & Jesper THILO ts, Thomas CLAUSEN p, Mads VINDING b, Alex RIEL dr,
John Arnold Griffin III (born in 1928) is an American bop and hard bop tenor saxophonist. Like many other successful musicians from Chicago, he studied music at DuSable High School under Walter Dyett, starting out on clarinet before moving on to oboe, alto sax and finally, shortly after joining Lionel Hampton's Orchestra, tenor sax. While still at high school, at 15 Griffin was playing alongside T-Bone Walker in a band led by Walker's brother.
He worked in Lionel Hampton's Orchestra (first appearing on a Los Angeles recording in 1945, at the age of 17), leaving to join fellow Hampton band member Joe Morris's Orchestra from 1947 to 1949. He played with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers for a few months in 1957, and in the Thelonious Monk Sextet and Quartet (1958). He rejoined Monk in the Octet and Nonet in 1967. He also recorded with the Nat Adderley Quintet in 1958 and again in 1978.
As a leader of his own band, his 1956 Blue Note recording Introducing Johnny Griffin, which also featured Wynton Kelly on piano, Curly Russell on bass and Max Roach on drums, brought him critical acclaim. Having felt he had achieved much in the USA, his pinnacle on record arguably the 1957 Blowin' session on the Blue Note label with fellow tenor John Coltrane, he moved to Europe, and was the "first choice" sax player for visiting US musicians touring the continent.
From 1960 to 1962 he and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis led their own quintet, recording several albums together. They met up again in 1970 and recorded Tough Tenors Again 'n' Again, and again with the Dizzy Gillespie Big 7 at the Montreux Jazz Festival. In 1965 he recorded some albums with Wes Montgomery. From 1967 to 1969, he formed part of the Kenny Clarke - Francy Boland Big Band.
He went to live in France in 1963, moving to the Netherlands in 1978, and he still continues to record and tour.
Griffin was reputed to be the 'World's Fastest Saxophonist' in the jazz idiom, though as he aged, and as the jazz audience declined, this accolade has all but disappeared.
He worked in Lionel Hampton's Orchestra (first appearing on a Los Angeles recording in 1945, at the age of 17), leaving to join fellow Hampton band member Joe Morris's Orchestra from 1947 to 1949. He played with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers for a few months in 1957, and in the Thelonious Monk Sextet and Quartet (1958). He rejoined Monk in the Octet and Nonet in 1967. He also recorded with the Nat Adderley Quintet in 1958 and again in 1978.
As a leader of his own band, his 1956 Blue Note recording Introducing Johnny Griffin, which also featured Wynton Kelly on piano, Curly Russell on bass and Max Roach on drums, brought him critical acclaim. Having felt he had achieved much in the USA, his pinnacle on record arguably the 1957 Blowin' session on the Blue Note label with fellow tenor John Coltrane, he moved to Europe, and was the "first choice" sax player for visiting US musicians touring the continent.
From 1960 to 1962 he and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis led their own quintet, recording several albums together. They met up again in 1970 and recorded Tough Tenors Again 'n' Again, and again with the Dizzy Gillespie Big 7 at the Montreux Jazz Festival. In 1965 he recorded some albums with Wes Montgomery. From 1967 to 1969, he formed part of the Kenny Clarke - Francy Boland Big Band.
He went to live in France in 1963, moving to the Netherlands in 1978, and he still continues to record and tour.
Griffin was reputed to be the 'World's Fastest Saxophonist' in the jazz idiom, though as he aged, and as the jazz audience declined, this accolade has all but disappeared.
To be continued...
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