Griffin, Johnny

▪ 2009

John Arnold Griffin III 

      American jazz tenor saxophonist

born April 24, 1928, Chicago, Ill.

died July 25, 2008, Availles-Limouzine, France

was noted for his fluency in the hard-bop idiom. He toured with Lionel Hampton's big band (1945–47) and with trumpeter Joe Morris (1947–50) before playing two years (1951–53) in a U.S. Army band. In Chicago and then in New York City, Griffin established a national reputation while playing with Art Blakey (1957) and Thelonious Monk (1958). Together with tenor saxophonist Eddie (“Lockjaw”) Davis, Griffin led a quintet in 1960–62. He moved to France in 1963 and then maintained an active career touring European jazz centres, soloing with the Kenny Clarke–Francy Boland big band in the late 1960s and, from 1978, leading his quartet in annual tours in the U.S. Griffin's tenor saxophone improvising was in a transitional style that fused swing and bebop elements. In early recordings, such as A Blowing Session (1957) and Way Out! (1958), he was noted for his creativity and technical dexterity, even while creating complex harmonic structures (chord changes) at fast tempos. Later recordings demonstrated his sustained mastery in long solos and his instinct for building solos in classic forms while maintaining his instrumental mastery.

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▪ American musician

in full  John Arnold Griffin III 

born April 24, 1928, Chicago, Ill., U.S.

died July 25, 2008, Availles-Limouzine, France

 African American jazz tenor saxophonist noted for his fluency in the hard-bop idiom.

      Griffin began playing woodwinds at Du Sable High School in Chicago, and after graduation he toured with Lionel Hampton (Hampton, Lionel)'s big band (1945–47) and with trumpeter Joe Morris (1947–50). After two years in a U.S. Army band (1951–53), Griffin played in Chicago and then New York, where he established a national reputation playing with Art Blakey (Blakey, Art) (1957) and Thelonious Monk (Monk, Thelonious) (1958). Together with tenor saxophonist Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, he led a quintet in 1960–62, before moving to France in 1963. He then maintained an active career touring European jazz centres, soloing with the Kenny Clarke (Clarke, Kenny)–Francy Boland big band in the 1960s and, from 1978, leading his quartet in annual American tours.

      Griffin's tenor saxophone improvising was in a transitional style that fused swing and bebop elements. In earlier recordings, such as A Blowing Session (1957) and Way Out! (1958), he was noted for his creativity and technical dexterity, even while creating on complex harmonic structures (chord changes) at fast tempos. Later recordings demonstrated his sustained mastery in long solos and his instinct for building solos in classic forms while maintaining his instrumental mastery.

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