Johnny Griffin solo

[1983Anubis]

What's the title of the tune????

[sopwithcamels266]

Johnny Griffin a true master.Never fails to deliver less than 100%.

[doko73]

He played his ass off.

[robertojimenez204]

¡Qué clase de bestia!!

[mambojazz1]

however put "dislike" on this is tone deaf asshole!! Period! This is aweseom

[Coulouris222]

Johnny Griffin - Just Blazing!! What an inspiration!. That is some REAL art.

[ammofuzztone]

In your face! Wow. Muscular. Plenty of excitement.

[EarlofSuave308]

Are you kidding me! WHoa! Truly the "Fastest Gun in the West"!

[PaulMurphyJazzDrum]

thanks for posting , what a great musician !

[RichardCohenFilms]

Amazing, The Little Giant... Many years ago I met his aunt in Louisiana. She had difficulty seeing and through her fingers she sized me up and left the room. Returned a few minutes later with a sweater she said belonged to her nephew who left the US for europe. Unforgettable grace. And, the young Ray Bulldog Drummond. Wow. -- RichardCohenFilms

[pyannaguy]

How many times I've wondered how guys this deep into mastery looked at the purveyors of pap who raked in money and attention and lived like kings.

At least they had the satisfaction of knowing that the slim minority that know their ass from a hole in the ground could appreciate and recognize. Much Thanks to the Johnny Griffins of the world while we have them. Thanks, YouTube and Jazzster 123!

[pvelectric]

Johnny Griffin, the "Little Giant," "The Rev," the greatest bebop tenor sax player who's ever lived.

[lincolnadler]

One of my sax heroes - burnin'!

[ExtremeBogom]

soo fast dude!

[kingkoeller]

I saw Johnny Griffin in 1998 down at the Village Vanguard NYC, He was wailing! During the break, he showed me his mouthpiece, Quote, " I got this Metal Link from Lockjaw, it's a 10* " As a sax player, It was so cool talking to the "Little Giant". I was so blown away! That mouthpiece of his has a tip opening of .135". It takes Massive chops!! His sound was huge! He was the fastest tenor who ever lived. What a nice guy too, I learned so much from him...

[drummied]

Kenny Washington people!!

Wow, so overlooked and so so heavy.

Thanks for posting.

I still have this whole gig on VCR from when it was on TV here in the UK in 1987.

[pycroft]

@drummied

if you can upload it you will earn the gratitude of a lot of people myself included

[leftywilbury]

ha.....

[macktheknife412]

I noticed he used one of the same licks that he uses in rhythm-a-ning at around 2:40 with the quarter notes. It is very interesting to see how pro musicians have an "Old Bag of Tricks" with signature phrases that they use in a lot of their solos. 5 stars easy by the way.

[BuckshotLaFunke]

At around 1:00 Griffin moves his shoulders like an athlete running the 100 meters.

[SuperBalancedAction7]

his eyes nearly pop out at 3:23 when he hits that high A!

[MAJORSNODGRASS]

Johnny Griffin and Kenny Washington towards the end of this clip are stunning.

Art in real time. No weeks or months to write a book, paint a picture, jot down a poem these guys produce the finest artistic moments in a few split seconds.

[davisc1926]

You said it, instant art!!!

[BuckshotLaFunke]

MajorSnodgrass, as Jean Cocteau once said: 'Jazz is like banana, you eat it on the spot.'

[joe9seph]

@MAJORSNODGRASS But you must admit, they spent their entire lives preparing to produce this art.

[28handcraft]

@MAJORSNODGRASS Indeed, a few split seconds plus the thousands and thousands of hours spent practicing and otherwise playing and learning...

[ipoduser80gb]

This is amazing.

[JimShoes1]

he could play his ass off.

[simpshian]

the baddest shit i ever heard..

[ssminopoopy]

Can a band swing any harder than these 4 aces?

Ray Drummond is absolutely kicking ass on bass, Ronnie Mathews was one of the best compers on the planet, Kenny Washington is my favorite drummer - man does he drive this band, and what else can be said about Johnny Griffin - he never met a blazing tempo he didn't like or couldn't lick!!! Too bad this video was cut short. Kenny's trading fours at the end with Johnny was priceless.

Thanks for posting.

[mrbird00]

He is one the tiniest saxpphone players with the biggest sound.

[moffat691]

Machine Gun!

[BuckshotLaFunke]

Taking off, sounding off, cooking, steaming and wailing.

[Soulnik]

One of the baddest cats ever to pick up the tenor saxophone.

[trestresbrel]

articulation ta taa taa ?

[BuckshotLaFunke]

If you mean his articulation leaves to be desired, well yes, he's no Stan Getz. The atmosphere he creates, though, is something else. I heard him tear our jazz club up in 1966 or so. Long, inventive solo's at impossible tempo's. A positive monster.

[pa6FX]

R.I.P BIG GENIOUS

[J99dude]

I Googled Johnny Griffin after reading that he had died in TIME mag. and noticed immediately that Youtube had all these great videos on him! So far, I like this post the best. What a great sound from Mr. JG, thanks.

[tacarson]

Was the rhapsody in blue at 3:17?? Sweet!!

[doncq]

RIP GREAT little giant. :-(

[waqqasharon]

oh noes! HE DIES

[BuckshotLaFunke]

I heard him play like this around 1966, live, with Art Taylor on drums. Astonishing, awesome, what can you say?

[bimmerfun]

RIP Little Giant.

[MetalRage]

aww man i just heard the news that he died =(

[antispamdinista]

Another jazz angel gets his wings. Our loss is Heaven's gain.

[undercoverblackman]

We've lost a giant.

[defmaa]

Bon voyage mr. Griffin

[cearleywine]

damn, you should of posted the whole song. R.I.P. Johnny Griffin.

[J5MARLON]

Goodbye Johnny.

[samadjhi]

We have a mutual interest the love of jazz. But those terms "cool jazz" "hard jazz" "be Bop" were despised by the musicians who were defined but them. Those terms were applied by the critics who didn't understand what the musicians were doing after the swing imagine painting a picture and someone comes along and decides to title it. I say this with all due respect to you and if you do the research you will find this to be true.

[angelseye2000]

...on jazzland are just amazing. They did complete eachother and were a great match. There are not much real cool guys left anymore, except Donaldson, Rollins and a few others. I was born 2 late i guess. I never saw cool bebop and hardbop cats like Mobley, Dorham, Morgan etc. I have to do it with my record collection. ;o) Thanx for all the great notes and joy mister Griffin. My condolence to his family and friends. I wish them all strength in this tough period.

[angelseye2000]

I heard it 2. My first real jazz album was "Introducing Johnny Griffin". A great album and loved it ever since. Nice direct, sharp and quick sound. His albums with Eddie Lockjaw Davis e.g Tough Tenors and Blues up and down on

[voxhumbug]

Just heard the awful news that Griffin passed away today, 7.25.08. RIP, Little Giant!

[rgs1940]

Yes, long live the Griff!!!!

[Saxophonist1990]

Is he seriously tounging all of his notes? OMG my tounge just gives up after five oif those lol

[rgs1940]

Someone show me how to swing anymore than this. This is fantastic! Show me how!!!!!!

[peppersax]

This is what Jazz is all about! Also check out Johnny Griffin and John Coltrane together, if you want some serious lessons in sax exploration!!!! I played with the bassist a number of times and he's as nice a person as he's awesome.

[SixteenRainings]

This is what jazz is all about. Now we're talking :]

5 stars. And Griffin is incredible, I think he's really underrated.

[rgs1940]

Kenny Washington and Johnny Griffin are ANIMALS!!!!! Wonderful video.

[rgs1940]

I remember the Blue Note album "Introducing Johnny Griffin" and could hardly believe anyone could play that fast and build solos of such complexity. He knows that horn very well. Wonderful player. Thanks for the post.

[Caitepie]

Simply Awesome!

[ctdjazz]

Listen to that groove! Ray and Kenny are stuck together.

[klactv]

Very, very good.

[kingpleasure]

Johnny was always a master at throwing in quotes at lightening speed. Love that snatch of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue at 3:24, so good Johnny's eyes even open and light up as he flies past.

[Wackiavelli]

Bravo, Johnny and quartet!

[sonorousmass]

I've seen Johnny before. This guy is such a monster player. There is no young player who has come up to his level yet and he is barely recognized. Another overlooked living master along with Yusef Lateef, Archie Shepp, Gary Bartz, Charlie Mariano and plenty more y'all can name.

[hitmanisback]

isnt it always the way ,the good looking pretty boys of music get all the deals ,the real geniuses get nothing ,marketing by record companies is geard to the good looking pretty nice clothes image ,slap some gel in your hair and wear designer shit thats how to get famouse

[nottscountyrock]

yeah quite right. its about image nowadays...however there are alwas exceptions to every rule-imo brecker and ome others deserved the fame they got due to hard work

[jthemump]

What, Griffin's not a bad-lookin' guy...His relative underappreciation is probably more a product of his living in Europe since the 60's. Given the way Europe embraced jazz musicians, you really can't blame Griffin and others emigrating there (i.e. Kenny Drew, Kenny Clarke, etc.)

[nottscountyrock]

good point actually, didnt remember his moving to europe

[RadekII]

Poor drummer XD I myself love jazz only when I don't have to drum^^

[Soulnik]

Johnny and crew cookin' on all four burners.

[lairdlord]

We called "Johnny Griffin" the "Thumper" in my home town of Oakland Cali,so awesome!

[lugk14]

yeah this is fukin'jazz...i love it!!!

[abath07]

This clip is around 1978-1980. This same quartet can be heard on the great album titled "Return Of The Griffin". This band was the combo that played the first American tour Griffin did at that time in fifteen years after living in France.

Johnny Griffin - tenor sax

Ronnie Mathews - piano

Ray Drummond - bass

Kenny Washington - drums

[BSTimmeh]

I saw him in Ronny Scotts in London....and he was FANTASTIC!!!!!! Thanks!

[obsurferman]

YEAH.........!!!!!!!

[classicjazzcat]

Johnny Griffin is TOTALLY AWESOME. The sidemen here are kicking butt, pushing all the way. Does anyone know what the title of the DVD is? If so, please post it?

[toobopped2beep]

ahhhh.....a taste of stitt and ammons, "red" prysock, "red" holloway, clifford scott, fred jackson, and many others tthat slip my mind at the moment. just give the tenor-man a blues "pallette" and listen to the "painting" as he gets down into the "guts" of his ax...... loved it!!!

[jazzwarrior]

Johnny Griffin sure loved the fast tempos. Played great.

[babaak1]

This video is at least thirty years after johnny began playing professionally... Power and clarity richness in tone still obvious

[oshizo]

man i love johnny griffin little raw on the slow stuff but his fleetness is awsome

[bayardcoll]

Wonderful! Thanks for posting.