As the 1960s came into focus, Chicago tenor
saxophonist Johnny Griffin and his New York counterpart, Eddie
“Lockjaw” Davis, hooked up for a series of tenor
battle albums that were easily a cut above most such recordings.
For one thing, both saxophonists were rock solid bop players
who were at the peak of their powers. For another, the two
tenor men were very compatible in their playing styles and
had a lot of mutual respect.
Davis began his career in the 1940s and always maintained
some of the swing influence of his forbears Ben Webster and
Coleman Hawkins. Davis played in big bands for much of his
early career, working with Count Basie in the early fifties
before pairing successfully with organist Shirley Scott prior
to getting together with Griffin. Griffin was a bop layer
from the get go, having worked with Art Blakey and Thelonious
Monk as well as leading his own groups throughout his long
career. Of course, Griffin could also turn a ballad out nicely,
as heard on “Imagination,” a track from Tough
Tenors that exclusively features Johnny.
Tough Tenors is a November, 1960, date that features
pianist Junior Mance, bassist Larry Gales, and drummer Ben
Riley. The opener, “Tickle Toe” is a hard-driving,
fast swing number penned by Lester Young and done up by the
Basie Band. Davis breaks out with the first solo (he actually
solos first on every number with the exception of “Imagination”),
showing that he’s up for an energetic blowing session.
Griffin’s solo is typically well put together and features
his trademark sound. Mance follows with a bluesy, solo that
demonstrates he’s not about to be left behind by the
tenor giants. The two tenors trade fours to bring the number
to a rousing close. After hearing this, no listener will doubt
that any performance by these two tenor titans is going to
be a spectacular one.
In the original liner notes, Lockjaw was quoted as saying
that the two musicians “Are trying to bring back older
tunes with a different flavor…tunes with more substance
and feeling to them, that get in that good groove.”
Tough Tenors has a number of examples of this, including Buddy
Johnson’s “Save Your Love For Me” and the
Fletcher Henderson tune “Soft Winds,” well known
as a Benny Goodman vehicle. Mance offers some gritty hard-bop
blues commentary on “Soft Winds” that is especially
welcome. Griffin and Davis offer an original, “Twins”
and a cover of Bennie Green’s “Funky Fluke”
as high speed numbers that demonstrate clearly the duo’s
bop heritage. With “Tickle Toe” and the ballad
“Imagination” to round out the program, Tough
Tenors delivers an unbeatable program of music delivered by
two of the greatest jazz tenors of all time with a hot rhythm
section.
In May of 1962, Davis and Griffin again went
into the studio. Though they had become popular as a duo,
they didn’t want to be stereotyped as ‘tenor battle’
players, so they decided to perform separately, alternating
as leader on the various tracks. In addition, they decided
to perform all ballads (with the exception of the Griffin-penned
title track, a mid-tempo swing number). For whatever reason,
the project never came to fruition. A master session disc
wasn’t put together until 1966, but it was not released,
languishing in the vaults for some forty years before its
recent release.
The rhythm section on this date is different than on Tough
Tenors. Horace Parlan, a pianist with an unusual style, alternated
at the piano chair for the Griffin-Davis quintet with Junior
Mance. On this date he plays piano on the Griffin tracks and
celeste on the Davis tracks. Bassist Buddy Catlett was originally
a saxophonist himself before switching to bass in the fifties;
he amassed a large number of small group recording dates on
his new instrument. Drummer Arthur Taylor was a disciple of
Kenny Clarke, the original bebop drummer.
Davis demonstrates his sensitive side on “Midnight
Sun” and “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,”
numbers on which his tenor sax is front and center the entire
time, with no features for any of the rhythm players. He shows
here that, like other tenor ‘honkers’ including
Illinois Jacquet, he knew what to do with a smoky ballad when
the time was right. Not to be outdone, Griffin positively
shines on “Willow Weep for Me” and “She’s
Funny That Way” as well as Ellington’s perennial
favorite, “Sophisticated Lady.” Listeners not
familiar with the breadth of Griffin’s work will see
clearly why he’s considered one of the best tenor saxophonists
around, the heir to Dexter Gordon’s title.
Some may consider this date inferior to the duo’s other,
more hard-driving recordings, but it definitely fills in a
missing link by showing both players’ balladic side.
Ultimately, Pieces is an incredibly enjoyable tenor recording
that belongs in the library of anyone who loves the instrument
or either of these two incredibly gifted musicians.
Davis passed away in 1986, but Griffin, who moved to Europe
in the 1970s, continues to perform and record at a pace many
younger jazz musicians would be hard pressed to keep up with.
In 1978 he cut his first album in a U.S. studio in some 15
years, Return of the Griffin. A day later he was back the
studio recording what would become the album Bush Dance. That
album, released here along with the album Call It Whachawana,
is a masterstroke that demonstrates just how powerful a player
Griffin still was (and still is, by the way) in 1978.
The album’s opener, “A Night In Tunisia,”
is treated to a relaxed, meandering intro based on Afro-Cuban
rhythms supplied by drummer Albert “Tootie” Heath
and percussionist Kenneth Nash, along with bassist Sam Jones.
Griffin provides some vocal cries and chants as well. Finally
the piece’s familiar bass line come into focus and Griffin
presents the melody with his familiar robust tenor sound.
At the bridge between the theme and the solos the arrangement
kicks into a high-speed bopfest, with pianist Cedar Walton,
guitarist George Freeman, and Griffin all kicking into high
gear for powerful solos. Clocking in at seventeen minutes,
this is probably the best “Nigh In Tunisia” committed
to recording since Art Blakey’s definitive version.
Jones takes the leadoff solo on the danceable “Bush
Dance” to great effect. He’s followed by Walton,
who demonstrates his typical ability to construct a beautiful
solo, before Griffin charges in, offering his hard-edged tone
and phenomenal chops. “The Jamf’s are Coming”
is a nice mid-tempo blues workout that allows for plenty of
blowing all around.
The four tracks that comprise the album Call It Whatchawana
feature a rhythm section of pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist
Curtis Lundy, and drummer Kenny Washington. All of these musicians
are younger than Griffin, of course, but they earn their appearance
here with solid playing. Miller manages to evoke Griffin’s
old boss Monk on “I Mean You,” but still sounds
like himself. This was the first recording to feature Griffin’s
1983 band, all of whom would go on to become major musicians
on their instruments. Miller in particular is an impressive
pianist, and one can certainly here him starting to take flight
on this date. The group also does a nice version of “Lover
Man” on which one can hear not only the influence of
Ben Webster, but also of Charlie Parker. The date concludes
with two Griffin originals: the bluesy “Call It Whachawana”
and the lyrical “A Waltz With Sweetie.” The reissued
Bush Dance is essentially a twofer that Griffin enthusiasts
will enjoy thoroughly. It's among the saxophonist's very best
work, along with Return of the Griffin.
