Search - Johnny Griffin :: Blowing Session

Great Jazz by Great Artists

06/10/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a jazz fan for a long time. I bought "A blowing Season" because, not only do I love Johnny Griffin, but the album had "All the Things you Are" on it, which is my favorite jazz tune. I listened, and the whole album was amazing. Griffin has very beutifully constructed solos, and eveything on this album seems to fit together near perfectly. This is a great jazz cd, so I reccomend it to all fans of Jazz."

A Blowing Session...

Chris Covais | 03/31/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This session not only was a 'blowing one,' a term applied to a successful session, but a very unique one. Very rarely is there an album with three tenor saxophonists on one single cut. And with the addition to the three tenor man is a trumpeter which makes it even more intense.



Leading the session was Johnny Griffin. I dig Griffin, but he didn't have the warmest sound in the world, which makes me prefer other warm tenor players as Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, and Zoot Sims. Joining Griffin is tenor star John Coltrane and underrated tenor men Hank Mobley. In addition to all three tenor man is Lee Morgan, trumpet virtuoso.



The rhythm section includes Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and the fireous drumming of Art Blakey, who's drum solos add to the delight of the recording.



Sometimes, the intensity of this disk, overwhelmes me, which is why I gave this review only 4 stars. Except for the solos, there isn't much change from song to song, and tenor sound starts getting on your nerves, if not in the right mood for it.



The album starts off with the standard The Way You Look Tonight, which isn't usually taken at the tempo it's taken at here, but it's good anyway. The standard All The Things You Are swings. Ball Bearing and Smoke Stack are the two Griffin originals.



If you dig really intense hard bop, this album is for you. Art Blakey was in good company. His albums were usually like this. Fireous, and intense!



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