Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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GRIFFIN, Johnny

(b John Arnold Griffin III, 24 April 1928, Chicago; d 25 April 2008, Availles-Limouzine, France) Tenor sax. Attended DuSable High School, played with Lionel Hampton '45-7, others; Art Blakey, then Thelonious Monk '57-8; formed his own quintet with Lockjaw Davis '60-2. He was called 'the little giant of jazz' because he was only five foot something; a driving hard-bop player with plenty of technique and harmonic knowledge, he  visited Europe in 1963, and with marriage and tax problems back home, the following year joined many U.S. jazzmen who have relocated there. Albums with Blakey included one on Bethlehem, Selections From Lerner And Loewe and A Night In Tunisia on RCA, Jazz Connection on Atlantic, all '57; also Full House with Wes Montgomery on Riverside, Bud In Paris with Powell on Xanadu, many others.

He made a single on OKeh in 1953 as Little Johnny Griffin and his Orchestra: 'Chicago Riffin' ' and 'Flying Home' (vocal by Babs Gonzales); his own albums began on Argo/Chess c.1956, then Blue Note: Introducing Johnny Griffin '56, The Congregation and Blowing Session '57, all quartet LPs except the last (with John Coltrane and Hank Mobley). On Riverside/Milestone: The Johnny Griffin Sextet and quartet Way Out! '58, sextet The Little Giant '59, Big Soul Band '60 with eleven pieces, quintets Studio Jazz Party '60 and Change Of Pace '61, big band White Gardenia '61, small group The Kerry Dancers '61-2, Grab This '62, Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me '63. Atlantic sessions with bop trombonist Matthew Gee (b 25 November 1925, Houston TX; own Jazz By Gee on Riverside '56) followed by 13 LPs on European and Japanese labels, all with excellent support: Live In Tokyo '76 with Horace Parlan was also on Inner City, The Jamfs Are Coming '77 with Art Taylor on Timeless, etc. (A 'jamf'  it is generally agreed is a 'jive-ass mother-fucker.') He also played on Pablo LPs made live at Montreux '75 including Count Basie Jam Session and Dizzy Gillespie's Big 7. Galaxy LPs began with Return Of The Griffin '78 with Keith Copeland, first U.S. LP in 15 years; Bush Dance '78, To The Ladies '79 (including 'Soft And Furry', 'Honeybucket'), and Call It Whachawana '83 with Mulgrew Miller, all made at Berkeley; NYC Underground '79 at the Village Vanguard. Paris Reunion Band '86 was on Sonet with Woody Shaw, others from the expatriate period. Later albums included The Cat (with Curtis Fuller) and Dance Of Passion (by Quartet + 3) on Antilles; Chicago, New York, Paris on Verve with Roy Hargrove and Christian McBride.