Johnny Griffin: April 24, 1928 - July 25, 2008

July 25, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.

Add new comment | Filed under: arts music, blank title, coleman hawkins, hard bop, injustice, jazz musician, johnny griffin, little giant, Masters, muscular sound, News, no doubt, Notes, ny times, nytimes, obit, rhythm and blues, rough and tumble, saxophone, saxophonist, stature, target, wails

WBGO bids farewell to Johnny Griffin, a master jazz musician. Many jazz people referred to Griffin as "The Little Giant," no doubt because of his dimunitive stature (he was a shade below 5 and a half feet tall). The consensus, however, was that Griffin's true stature loomed large in the music. Johnny Griffin could easily fall under the category of "hard bop saxophonist," but to do so would be an injustice. When you listen to the raw muscular sound of early Johnny Griffin records, you can hear a combination of saxophone legend Coleman Hawkins, the rough-and-tumble rhythm and blues of Griffin's Chicago hometown, and some definitive gospel wails. It was a big, combustible sound. One that will be missed.

Read the New York Times obit.

If you're looking for good music from Griffin, you have plenty of options.
Some suggestions after the jump.
Read more

© 2008 WBGO

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Miguel Zenon Quartet at FIJM

July 4, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.

Add new comment | Filed under: alto saxophonist, doob, drums, FIJM, Listening Post, Live Music, luis perdomo, miguel zenon, newcomer, quartet, saxophone

A powerful and intesnse set from alto saxophonist Miguel Zenon's Quartet last night at the Salle de Gesu.

Meet the quartet:
Miguel Zenon - saxophone
Luis Perdomo - piano
Hans Glawischnig - bass
Eric Doob, drums (a newcomer who fit in nicely with the group)

Listen to some of the show.

© 2008 WBGO
Ornette Coleman Interview

March 23, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.

Add new comment | Filed under: dancing in your head, doghouse, eternity, grammar, grammy lifetime achievement, grammy lifetime achievement award, Interviews, jazz legend ornette coleman, josh jackson, lifetime achievement award, loft, master musicians of joujouka, Masters, midnight sunrise, musical language, ornette coleman, ornette coleman interview, pulitzer prize, recipient, religious ceremony, saxophone, town hall, trance music

Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting Ornette Coleman at his midtown loft and studio, the latter of which he affectionately calls "The Doghouse." When I left, I had an earworm moment. I could not shake "Midnight Sunrise" from my head. On that recording, from Dancing in Your Head, Ornette plays his saxophone with the Master Musicians of Joujouka during a religious ceremony of Sufi trance music.
That's a pretty good indication of how my time with him sounded - sometimes mystic, sometimes swirling with idea and sound, always emphasizing humanity, freedom, and eternity. See, Ornette Coleman is not without his own musical language and his own sound grammar. The best way to understand what Ornette Coleman is saying is to listen to what he has to say. Because at 78, he still has a lot on his mind.

Listen to the interview here.

Jazz legend Ornette Coleman is the recipient of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in Music and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He will be performing at Town Hall this Friday, March 28th.
-Josh Jackson

© 2008 WBGO

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