Jazz Tracks:
Thursday, May 01, 2008

The Little Giant Turns 80!

Tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin celebrated his 80th birthday on April 24th. The Chicago native, who now makes his home in France, was one of jazz's leading saxophonists from the 1950s into the early 1990s. Early in his career, Griffin gained attention of rapid fire bebop lines. In later years, he received equal praise for his moving ballad work. He was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and made memorable recordings with pianist Thelonious Monk. Griffin's own sessions found him working in a variety of contexts, including a trio with two bass players and french horn, a session with strings and a big band date. Learn more about Griffin's role in jazz by listening to this two-part profile prepared by ideastream®'s Dan Polletta.