Jul. 28, 2008
One of the great overlooked tenor saxophonists of the 1950s was Johnny Griffin. Billed as "the Little Giant" and the fastest player alive, Griffin could fly through the uptempo numbers like lightning but he never lost track of the melody and always exhibited grace and heavyweight style. He also showed a great amount of tenderness on ballads and could swing just right when the occasion arose. Both on his own and with fellow underappreciated tenor man Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Griffin made an armload of classic records in the mid '50s and early '60s (and made a fine comeback in the early '90s too). With his passing last Friday, we take a minute to spin some of his best moments and encourage you to delve deeper into Griffin's impressive catalog.
"Chicago Calling" "Cherokee"
"The Congregation" "Latin Quarter"
"The Message" "Lonely One"
"Funky Fluke" "Tickle Toe"