[SACD-R][OF] Johnny Griffin - Introducing Johnny Griffin - 1956/2011 (Hard Bop)

Johnny Griffin had been kicking around in R&B bands for years before his Blue Note debut in 1956. What was “introduced” was a tenor saxophonist with a fresh sound, a warm, soulful style & the fastest technique in jazz. He moves from lyrical ballads to blistering tempos with ease. Within 2 years, Griff would become 1 of the leading tenor saxophonists in jazz as a member of Thelonious Monk’s quartet.

Amazon reviews:

By Tony NYC:
I’ve had this album on vinyl for many many years, but you MUST get the Ruday Van Gelder edition with the 2 bounus cuts, “The Way You Look Tonight” & “Cherokee”. Griffin is such an unsung hero here in the US. Thank GOD Europe & Asia recognize his greatness. Griffin, like Charlie Rouse are 2 of the best tenor players that ever lived. In my honest opinion, Rouse was the best tenor player for Thelonious Monk, but Griffin has that SPEED along with creativity but never lets you forget the melody while he is flying through his solo’s. So many other “great” tenor players, play solos that have nothing to do with the song. If you listen to Griffin’s solo’s alone, you know which songs they come from. I hate when a player takes a solo that has nothing to do with the song they are playing on. Griffin is GREAT. This album is GREAAT. The bonus cuts, especially the great Ray Noble song “CHEROKEE” make this reissue a real gem.

By Jack Baker:
This 1956 quartet session includes the stellar Wynton Kelly on piano, Curly Russell on bass, & Max Roach on the drums. This album was tenor sax phenom Johnny Griffin’s Blue Note debut & the man called the Little Giant doesn’t disappoint.

The album begins with a Griffin original, “Mil Dew”, taken at breakneck speed with flurries of twisting notes. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a sax player pack as many notes into a phrase as Griffin, yet he manages to remain melodic without seeming like he’s showing off, & each passage seems effortless. My favorite track is “Chicago Calling”, another Griffin original that Joe Segal refers to as the title track of the session in his original liner notes. (No mention there or in the liner notes for the RVG edition as to why this was changed.) The piece is loose & bluesy, with a rainfall-like Wynton Kelly solo bookended by pulsing Griffin tenor solos. “These Foolish Things” & “The Boy Next Door” are both solid pieces, followed by another cool Griffin-penned piece, “Nice & Easy”. The group then tackles Cole Porter’s “It’s Alright With Me” & the jazz favorite “Lover Man” which closed out the original album. The RVG edition adds 2 bonus tracks: “The Way You Look Tonight” & a blistering version of “Cherokee” guaranteed to knock your socks off.

Some of Wynton Kelly’s finest work can be heard on this album as he ably keeps pace with Griffin, while Russell & Roach serve to keep the high-flying soloists from veering too far off course. The RVG remaster seems especially excellent for this release, particularly the voicing on Kelly’s piano. If Johnny Griffin’s tone & musical ability seem outstanding here in 2008, one can only imagine what someone thought after playing this in 1956. Don’t miss this one!