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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Eddie Lockjaw Davis

March 2, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.

Add new comment | Filed under: andy kirk, Birthdays, cherokee, cootie williams, count basie orchestra, eddie davis, eddie lockjaw davis, hard bop, jazz genres, latin jazz, lockjaw, louis armstrong, lucky millinder, Masters, music check, presence, ray noble, sessions, soul jazz, swing, tenor saxophone

It's the birthday of tenor saxophone legend Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. He was a pretty powerful presence in bands led by Cootie Williams, Lucky Millinder, Andy Kirk, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie. He also led his own sessions, which included swing, bop, hard bop, Latin jazz, and soul jazz genres. Basically, Eddie Davis played a lot of music. Check out this video - Eddie plays Ray Noble's "Cherokee" with the Count Basie Orchestra.

© 2008 WBGO

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