A bit of an offbeat session for tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin, The Little Giant features three originals by then-obscure pianist Norman Simmons, a reworking of the pop tune "Playmates," Babs Gonzalez's "Lonely One," and the tenorist's "63rd Street Theme." Simmons' arrangements for the three horns (which include trumpeter Blue Mitchell and trombonist Julian Priester) are colorful; the rhythm section (pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath) is state of the art for the period, and Griffin (who is featured in a trio with Jones and Heath on "Lonely One") is in fine form. An interesting set of obscure straight-ahead jazz.
The Little Giant
Johnny Griffin / Johnny Griffin Sextet
Share on
The Little Giant Review
by Scott Yanow
Track Listing
| Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johnny Griffin / Johnny Griffin Sextet | 04:15 | Amazon | ||||
| 2 | Johnny Griffin / Johnny Griffin Sextet | 07:20 | Amazon | ||||
| 3 | Johnny Griffin / Johnny Griffin Sextet | 04:06 | Amazon | ||||
| 4 | Johnny Griffin / Johnny Griffin Sextet | 07:30 | Amazon | ||||
| 5 | Johnny Griffin / Johnny Griffin Sextet | 04:18 | Amazon | ||||
| 6 | Johnny Griffin / Johnny Griffin Sextet | 06:29 | Amazon |
