AVID Jazz continues with its Four Classic Album series with a re-mastered 2CD release from Johnny Griffin, complete with original artwork, liner notes and personnel details.
“Introducing Johnny Griffin”; “A Blowing Session”; “The Congregation” and “Way Out”
Hard bop pioneer Johnny Griffin began his prolifically dynamic jazz career by playing the much more sedate instruments, the clarinet and oboe! Before long however he had switched to the alto sax and was playing with no less a musician than T Bone Walker when he was just 15 years old! At 17, in 1945 he had joined Lionel Hampton’s band and it was the great vibes-man who persuaded him to take up the tenor sax. Johnny Griffin, known as The Little Giant due to his stature and hard, fast and forceful style, played with a vast number of classic jazz men including John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Hank Mobley, Art Blakey, Sonny Clark, Paul Chambers, Kenny Drew, Lee Morgan, Philly Jo Jones, Wynton Kelly, Max Roach and Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis with whom he made a number of classic duo albums (which Avid will be presenting in a future release).

CD1
1-7: ‘Introducing Johnny Griffin’
1. Mil Dew
2. Chicago Calling
3. These Foolish Things
4. The Boy Next Door
5. Nice And Easy
6. It’s Alright With Me
7. Lover Man
8-11: ‘A Blowing Session’
8. The Way You Look Tonight
9. Ball Bearing
10. All The Things You Are
11. Smoke Stack

CD2
1-5: ‘The Congregation’
1. The Congregation
2. Latin Quarter
3. I’m Glad There Is You
4. Main Spring
5. It’s You Or No One
6-11: ‘Way Out’
6. Where’s Your Overcoat, Boy?
7. Hot Sausage
8. Sunny Monday
9. Cherokee
10. Teri’s Tune
11. Little John