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Johnny Griffin
 
Chicago tenor saxophonist (born April 24, 1928) who, by the age of 17, was touring with Lionel Hampton (1945-7). Then, until 1950, he toured with Joe Morris' breakaway group, which was a very successful R&B outfit. After playing with Jo Jones (1950), Arnett Cobb (1951) and a stay in Hawaii (1952-4), he returned to Chicago, where he led his own group and also worked with Thelonious Monk.

In 1957, he toured with Art Blakey, and then with the Monk quartet (1958). In Chicago, he worked as a soloist, and then as part of the Eddie Davis-Johnny Griffin quintet (1960-2). Like Dexter Gordon, Griffin toured Europe in 1963, and remained, living in first Holland, and then France, and has continued to perform and tour internationally through the early '90s. He is scheduled to perform with two fellow modern jazz practitioners -- Tommy Flanagan and Phil Woods -- in a headlining set at the 1999 Chicago Jazz Festival.

Influences include Charlie Parker, and fellow Chicagoan Von Freeman. Chicago Reader critic lauds the "lyrical, gut-grabbing power of Griffin's brawny tenor sound and blues-drenched improvisations."

Among his recordings are A Blowing Session (1957; Blue Note), The Man I Love (1967; Black Lion), and The Cat (1990; Antilles).

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