The Little Giant

July 28, 2008 3:35 PM

Legendary post-bop jazz tenor saxophonist, renowned for his speed and tone, Johnny Griffin (wiki) has died at the age of 80 at his home in France, where he had lived for 24 years. Originally from Chicago, at the age of 18, three days after his high school graduation, Mr. Griffin left Chicago to join Lionel Hampton’s big band, where he switched from alto to tenor (see preceding link). He played with, among others, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Clark Terry, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, and many more. From the wiki link: his first Blue Note album "Introducing Johnny Griffin" in 1956, [which featured] Wynton Kelly on piano, Curly Russell on bass and Max Roach on drums, brought him critical acclaim...A 1957 Blue Note album "A Blowing Session" featured him with fellow tenor players John Coltrane and Hank Mobley. Here he is playing the Village Vanguard.
posted by ornate insect (16 comments total)

Checking out the utube now. "A Blowing Session" is insane, if anybody hasn't heard it. Those cats just blew their damn brains out - what a session.

Thanks for the post -
posted by facetious at 3:46 PM on July 28, 2008

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posted by Sk4n at 4:03 PM on July 28, 2008

More links: another obituary; complete discography; selected amazon discography as a leader; and some YT links: one (Belgium) ; two: extended version of FPP link ("Blues for Gonzi" at Vanguard); three: another tune from same Vanguard set ("A Monk's Dream").
posted by ornate insect at 4:44 PM on July 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

A Blowin' Session' is one of my all-time favorites. Had to finally sign up for Metafilter just to acknowledge Griffin's passing.

Everyone should check out The Way You Look Tonight if nothing else. From the second it gets moving - it just slays.
posted by BronusWagner at 4:58 PM on July 28, 2008

WKCR is doing a retrospective on him right now, or at least they were a couple of hours ago on my way home from work. They have a webstream.
posted by caddis at 5:02 PM on July 28, 2008

doo bee doo boo dwee .
posted by Saxon Kane at 5:05 PM on July 28, 2008

caddis--thanks for the KCR link and heads up. Right now (8:10pm EST) they are playing Monk's Live at the Five Spot record, from 1958, which features Griffin, and which is an absolute classic.
posted by ornate insect at 5:16 PM on July 28, 2008

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And bah.

And this video of him with Ronnie Scott is worth a listen also.
posted by motty at 5:37 PM on July 28, 2008

I'm sorry to hear about his passing. There are a whole lot of preachers that now much more than I do, but maybe the good lord likes a little boppin' too.
posted by nola at 5:44 PM on July 28, 2008

And here's an interview with Johnny Griffin, as conducted by Ted Panken on April 18, 1990 at WKCR.
posted by ornate insect at 6:20 PM on July 28, 2008

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posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:22 PM on July 28, 2008

Damn, I'm sorry to hear that. Of his albums as a leader, I recommend Johnny Griffin Sextet. Hell of a jazzman.
posted by languagehat at 7:04 PM on July 28, 2008

I was sorry to hear of this as well. Thanks for the post, and the WKCR links.
posted by Hadroed at 8:41 PM on July 28, 2008

Absolutely essential recording IMHO: Dexter Gordon at Carnegie Hall (with Johnny Griffin)
posted by milnak at 10:00 PM on July 28, 2008

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posted by Wolof at 11:38 PM on July 28, 2008

I heard this on WKCR also. Godspeed.
posted by invitapriore at 2:14 PM on July 29, 2008