Happy 80th to Johnny Griffin!

[DukeCity]

[mgraham333]

Listening to Introducing Johnny Griffin right now.

[Cyril]

"I like to play fast. I get excited, and I have to sort of control myself, restrain myself. But when the rhythm section gets cooking, I want to explode."

--Johnny Griffin

Happy 80th Johnny Griffin!!!

[Guest GregM]

I saw him at Yoshi's a couple yrs ago with Cedar Walton. Great show.

Man, these guys are getting old.

[ValerieB]

so glad that Mr. Griffin is still with us! wishing him many more years in good health! got to see him at the North Sea Festival last summer. he was wonderful although he talked much too much about his drinking habits!

[BillF]

so glad that Mr. Griffin is still with us! wishing him many more years in good health! got to see him at the North Sea Festival last summer. he was wonderful although he talked much too much about his drinking habits!

Well, yes, it was at a bar that I chatted with John - in the Peel Hotel, Leeds in the late sixties - though what he talked about wasn't drinking, but the joys of playing with NHOP!

[Shawn]

Happy Birthday to the Almighty Griffin! Hands down my favorite tenor player...EVER!!!!!

[BruceH]

Perhaps favorite surviving tenor player (along with Rollins)...

Anywho, time to play some Griffin in honor of the octagenerian. 80!! Wow!

[Christiern]

Here's wishing Johnny a very Happy Birthday. I have known him since 1960, when I came to Riverside and here are some photos I took of him (w. Lockjaw and Curtis Lundy) in Perugia during the Unbria '84 festival:

Edited April 29, 2008 by Christiern

[Hot Ptah]

Johnny Griffin was very gracious to me and my then-girlfriend when she wanted to interview him for a university newspaper after a concert in the spring of 1979. He spent a lot of time answering her questions, which were rather basic as I recall. She was not difficult to look at. At one point she asked him the song title of a blues which he had played that evening. He said, "I Just Want to Touch You Tonight, Baby."

Later that year, on Galaxy Records, the album "NYC Underground" was released, with a similar sounding blues, which bore the title, "Let Me Touch It."

Edited April 24, 2008 by Hot Ptah

[Elissa]

Happiest of Birdays Griff! I only saw him once, at the Vanguard in something like 95...? One of my favorite shows ever.

[sidewinder]

Happy 80th Birthday to Johnny Griffin ! 'The Congregation' LP is going on a bit later in recognition.

Saw him about 3 or 4 years ago in London - in a lineup with George Coleman.

Edited April 24, 2008 by sidewinder

[JSngry]

Well, yes, it was at a bar that I chatted with John - in the Peel Hotel, Leeds in the late sixties - though what he talked about wasn't drinking, but the joys of playing with NHOP!

Sounds like he could just as easily have started talking about the joys of playing with OPP...

Happy birthday to one of the true forces of nature that this music has channeled into our world. Maximum Love Points to the power of infinity!

[Peter Friedman]

Happy Birthday to one of the survivors of the jazz life. A marvelous tenor player.

Thankfully I had the opportunity to see him play live a few times. They were memorable occasions.

[Michael Weiss]

Happiest of Birdays Griff! I only saw him once, at the Vanguard in something like 95...? One of my favorite shows ever.

We played the Vanguard 1988-1992. But from 1993 through 1998 we were at the Blue Note. We didn't return to the Village Vanguard until 1999.

[Chuck Nessa]

Many delightful moments and nights. Thank you JG.

[BruceH]

So glad that he is still with us. Happy Birthday Mr. Griffin!

And many more!

[Guest GregM]

I love how he throws in well known melodies in the midst of all his harmonically cool stuff. He has a great sense of humor and oh yeah--he's QUICK.

[paul secor]

HB, JG!

[Elissa]

Happiest of Birdays Griff! I only saw him once, at the Vanguard in something like 95...? One of my favorite shows ever.

We played the Vanguard 1988-1992. But from 1993 through 1998 we were at the Blue Note. We didn't return to the Village Vanguard until 1999.

Must have been late summer or early fall of '91 then... does that sound possible?

[Shawn]

Johnny Griffin & Woody Shaw

This will SERIOUSLY kick your ass.

[Michael Weiss]

Happiest of Birdays Griff! I only saw him once, at the Vanguard in something like 95...? One of my favorite shows ever.

We played the Vanguard 1988-1992. But from 1993 through 1998 we were at the Blue Note. We didn't return to the Village Vanguard until 1999.

Must have been late summer or early fall of '91 then... does that sound possible?

September 24-29, 1991

[Hardbopjazz]

Happy Birthday Johhny.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Happy Birthday to a lovely honkin' tenor player!

Now playing some cuts from 1947/8 with the Joe Morris band (and George Freeman, Matthew Gee & Philly Joe).

MG

[rpklich]

For at many years, Johnny would come back to his hometown to play for a week at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago, where he would celebrate his birthday. 4/24 was Joe Segal's birthday (he owns the Jazz Showcase). Joe Henderson also celebrated his birthday on 4/24. One year schedules and money permitted Joe Segal to book both of them. I sure hope the Showcase opens soon.