Johnny Griffin - Seven Classic Albums, Vol.2 (4CD) (2014) {Compilation}

This second entry in Real Gone Jazz's Johnny Griffin classic albums series focuses on dates cut for Riverside and Prestige between 1956 and 1962. All of these titles have been issued either individually or in various compilation forms for decades. First up is the saxophonist's first date as a leader in 1956, in the company of pianist Junior Mance, bassist Wilbur Ware, and session drummer Buddy Smith.

The program is notable for its two fine Griffin originals, "Satin Wrap" and "Lollypop." (The latter has been the hardest of these recordings to procure on its own, being intermittently in and out of print, and mostly only in Japan.) A Studio Jazz Party cut in the fall of 1960 was a loose, straight-ahead session with an invited studio audience. The tunes were introduced by hipster scat-bop poet Babs Gonzalez. The band includes drummer Ben Riley, pianist Norman Simmons, bassist Vic Sproles, and the criminally underrated trumpeter Dave Burns. White Gardenia, for Prestige, was a memorial to Billie Holiday. Griffin, ever versatile, performed tunes associated with the great singer accompanied by a rhythm section, brass, and strings. The arrangements were by Melba Liston and Simmons. Tenor Scene, Tough Tenor Favorites, and Battle Stations by the Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis & Johnny Griffin Quintet (or vice-versa) cut and released in 1961 with different pianists and bassists, but Riley is always the drummer. The final record, The Kerry Dancers and Other Swinging Folk Favorites is another like White Gardenia. It was recorded between December 1961 and January 1962, with bassist Ron Carter, Riley, and pianist Barry Harris. Though the material is sourced from readings of Celtic tunes and other traditional fare, it is a straight-ahead jazz date and a fantastic showcase for Griffin's reach as both melodist and improviser. This box is cheap – British copyright law is not as restrictive as it is in the U.S. where these titles were first released, and artists don't receive compensation. Sonically, you also get what you pay for: The sound is not nearly as detailed as either the Japanese or American remasters of these titles, and depending on the album, is either somewhat thin or even shrill. Mastering took place from whatever sources were available to the producers at the time, rather than with any regard for historical preservation. The stars in the rating are for the music, not the package. ~ AllMusic Review by Thom Jurek



CD1 {68:09}
Johnny Griffin (1958)
01. I Cried for You [3:34]
02. Satin Wrap [3:02]
03. Yesterdays [2:28]
04. Riff-Raff [3:08]
05. Bee-Ess [3:50]
06. The Boy Next Door [3:16]
07. These Foolish Things [3:33]
08. Lollypop [3:03]
Battle Stations (1960)
09. What's Happening [6:49]
10. Abundance [6:53]
11. If I Had You [6:44]
12. 63rd Street Theme [7:10]
13. Pull My Coat [6:39]
14. Hey Jim! [7:59]

CD2 {76:18}
Johnny Griffin's Studio Jazz Party (1960)
01. Party Time [1:19]
02. Good Bait [12:35]
03. There Will Never Be Another You [8:31]
04. Toe-Tappin' [8:06]
05. You've Changed [7:49]
06. Low Gravy [8:11]
The Tenor Scene (1961)
07. Light and Lovely [12:00]
08. Straight, No Chaser [10:08]
09. Woody 'n You [7:38]

CD3 {53:40}
The Tenor Scene (1961) cont.
01. Bingo Domingo [4:39]
02. I'll Remember April [9:38]
White Gardenia (1961)
03. Gloomy Sunday [4:08]
04. That Ole Devil Called Love [3:52]
05. White Gardenia [3:20]
06. God Bless the Child [3:19]
07. Detour Ahead [4:35]
08. Good Morning Heartache [4:15]
09. Don't Explain [4:47]
10. Trav'lin' Light [4:09]
11. No More [4:02]
12. Left Alone [2:57]

CD4 {77:14}
The Kerry Dancers (1962)
01. The Kerry Dancers [4:42]
02. Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair [6:13]
03. Green Grow the Rushes [4:36]
04. The Londonderry Air [4:55]
05. 25 1/2 Daze [4:39]
06. Oh, Now I See [5:09]
07. Hush-A-Bye [4:54]
08. Ballad for Monsieur [3:34]
Tough Tenor Favourites (1962)
09. Bahia [5:56]
10. Blue Lou [4:44]
11. How Am I to Know [4:58]
12. Ow! [4:21]
13. I Wished on the Moon [6:41]
14. Tin Tin Deo [5:46]
15. From This Moment On [6:06]






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