GA Russell

Here is his LA Times obituary: http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-...0,3780519.story Johnny Griffin, 80; tenor saxophonist known as the 'Little Giant' Robert Vos AFP / Getty Images Tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin, known as the "Little Giant" and celebrated for his lightning-fast musical style, performs at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam in 2007. By Jocelyn Y. Stewart, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer July 26, 2008 Johnny Griffin, the tenor saxophonist known as the "Little Giant," whose big, rich sound and lightning speed made for a distinct musical signature during an era when bebop was king, has died. He was 80. Griffin died Friday at his home in France, his agent, Helene Manfredi, told Bloomberg News. The cause was not reported. Though he was often called the "world's fastest saxophonist," Griffin -- who jammed with such greats as Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and Art Blakey -- did not see speed as the key element of his playing. "Everybody called me a racehorse, but feeling good is my thing," Griffin said in a 1995 Times article. "Art Blakey used to say to me, 'You fire that [saxophone] like it's a machine gun.' I'd say, 'Yeah, man, but those are pellets of love.' " Griffin is credited with helping to spark renewed interest in bebop in the 1970s, with performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1975, in Tokyo in 1976 and throughout the U.S. in the latter part of the decade. "He was very original," said drummer Louis Hayes, who performed with Griffin and many other jazz artists. Griffin "had a great knowledge of his instrument and music and . . . he had a tremendous impact on this art form we call jazz." Born John Arnold Griffin III in Chicago on April 24, 1928, Griffin grew up in a house that was often filled with music. His mother played piano and sang in the church choir; his father had played cornet. At 6, Griffin began studying the piano and later added the Hawaiian steel guitar. At DuSable High School in the 1940s, under bandmaster Capt. Walter Dyett, Griffin learned clarinet and oboe, and then the alto saxophone. His true love was the tenor sax -- a big instrument for the diminutive musician, who did not reach his final height of about 5 feet 5 until after high school. Outside of school, he played alto sax in a band with T-Bone Walker. Vibraphonist Lionel Hampton, who while visiting DuSable heard Griffin play, invited him to join his band in 1945. Griffin, who was 17, graduated on a Thursday and on Sunday began his first professional gig with one of the most celebrated musicians of the day. While playing with Hampton, Griffin switched to tenor sax. In the 1950s, he moved to New York, where he played with R&B trumpeter Joe Morris, drummers Philly Joe Jones and Jo Jones and saxophonist Arnett Cobb. Older musicians who had influenced him -- saxophonists Ben Webster, Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins -- took Griffin under their wing when he moved to the city. His friends included pianists Monk, Bud Powell and Elmo Hope. "They had so much respect for each other," Griffin said in the 1995 Times article. "I'd walk the streets of Harlem with them every day. That was my education." While serving in the Army in the early 1950s, Griffin formed a small band of his own. A colonel was impressed and ordered Griffin to be placed in the Army band -- a decision that kept him out of combat in Korea. In 1957, Griffin joined Blakey and later played in a Monk quartet. With tenor saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Griffin co-led a quintet in the early 1960s. Their "battles," high-energy feats of improvisation, can be heard on "Tough Tenor Favorites," released in 1962. Griffin's many recordings also include "Introducing Johnny Griffin" (1956), "A Blowin' Session" (1957) with saxophonists Hank Mobley and John Coltrane, and "Change of Pace" (1961). Disheartened by the changes in jazz -- which he called "noise" -- and plagued by tax troubles, Griffin moved to Europe in the early 1960s. He lived in the Netherlands for many years and later settled in a chateau in southwest France. In Europe, jazz had a higher profile and racism a lesser presence, he said. But beginning in 1978, with a performance with saxophonist Dexter Gordon, he returned regularly to the United States to perform and celebrate his birthday. In a review of a 1978 concert, then-Times critic Leonard Feather called Griffin "a hard-driving performer with a crackling energetic sound and the ability to create flawlessly swinging lines that never let up." In later years, Griffin, who was also a composer, often performed with his longtime drummer, Kenny Washington. Griffin's album "Smokin' Sax" was released Tuesday, according to Billboard.com. Griffin had an explanation for the speed that defined his style. "I got so excited when I played, and I still do," he once said. "I want to eat up the music like a child eating candy."

British Columbia Lions 36....Montreal Alouettes 34 Another terrific game! The Als led 17-3 after one, and 17-6 at the break. BC took the lead for the first time early in the fourth. The lead changed hands a number of times after that until Paul McCallum won it with a field goal with a few seconds left. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...ory/GlobeSports

The FCC approved the XM-Sirius merger today. http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/i...ology/xmsirius/

Edmonton Eskimos 19.....Hamilton Tiger-Cats 13 http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=s...aspx?id=4167589 http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home Casey Printers hurt his thumb on a tackler's helmet, and was replaced by Ritchie Williams. As usual, Williams looked better than the $500,000 man.

RIP Johnny Griffin holds a special place in my heart because he was featured on one of my first jazz albums, my first Monk album, Thelonious In Action. To this day, Light Blue and Blue Monk from that album are two of my favorite Monk recordings.

Yeah, I know Chuck. But BClug has just this week reappeared for the first time in months, and I haven't seen John Tapscott for a long while either. In the meantime, this thread gets a couple of hundred views a week, so I figure that I must be providing a service to somebody! ***** Winnipeg Blue Bombers 32....Calgary Stampeders 28 What a game! See-saw battle. I think there were 27 points scored in the fourth quarter. Ryan Dinwiddie looked great. http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home

Happy Birthday Bichos!

Happy Birthday Chris!

Fred Williams Week 5 preview http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=s...aspx?id=4167216 ***** The Bombers released Duncan O'Mahony Tuesday. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Win...6245126-cp.html

tf, I'll say a prayer for everyone's complete recovery. Glad to hear that you both were not seriously injured.

Here's Jerome Holtzman's AP obituary: http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsBaseball/home

Wow! Jason Armstead had one bad game Saturday, and the Als cut him. I was never a big fan of his, but they loved him in Ottawa. http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home

Holy Toledo, Chris! That's a lot of remotes. I am always losing mine. I have one right now for the recently acquired TV digital converter, but all of the others are AWOL.

The Washington Post obit is too long to post here, but I found it very interesting to read about what this guy did, and I imagine that some of you will as well. http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-...0,6777903.story

The Bombers are 0-4, so Doug Berry has named Ryan Dinwiddie as the starting QB over Kevin Glenn. Glenn has the worst efficiency rating in the league, with two TDs and eight INTs. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Win...219396-sun.html

Toronto Argonauts 35....Edmonton Eskimos 31 Evidently a great game. Sorry I had to miss it. http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=s...aspx?id=4166432 http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home ***** It looks like Barrin Simpson is out for the year. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Win...212431-sun.html

I enjoy going to McDonald's to have a cup of coffee and read the paper. Yesterday I noticed a stack of old newspapers which had been hiding in plain sight. Rather than trashing the stack, I grabbed a bunch off the top and headed off for some coffee. One section was the Sports page of USA Today from September 10, 2004. And what did I see but an article, complete with photo, about Alexis Serna, the Bombers' new kicker! At the time he was a redshirt freshman at Oregon State. I'm not sure what he did last night, but last I heard he had not missed a FG attempt yet this year. ***** Saskatchewan Roughriders 41....Montreal Alouettes 33 http://scoreboards.canoe.ca/merge/tsnform..../final/W675.htm Great game with eight lead changes. The Riders are 4-0 for the first time since 1970. I think that Luca Congi is 11 for 11 FGs this year.

Best wishes, Bruce! I'll say a prayer for you tonight.

British Columbia Lions 27....Winnipeg Blue Bombers 18 http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=s...aspx?id=4166012 Good game. The Lions came from behind in the fourth to win it.

Here's a breakdown of what the NY Giants will be charging their fans when they move into their new stadium. I guess that so many New Yorkers are rich that it won't matter. In addition, you have all of the corporations who will pay whatever the price is. http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home

Calgary Stampeders 43....Hamilton Tiger-Cats 16 http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=s...aspx?id=4165765 http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Cal...195016-sun.html http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home

Happy Birthday Kenny!

David Naylor Week 4 preview: http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home ***** At the half it's Calgary 27....Hamilton 9. Casey Printers has stunk, while Nik Lewis has scored two TDs. I'm going to bed.

Here is a podcast of three sportswriters discussing the state of the league this week: http://calsun.canoe.ca/Sports/Football/200...15/6166076.html ***** CP Week 4 preview: http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Ham...6176841-cp.html ***** Fred Williams Week 4 preview: http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform...aspx?id=4165531

Happy Birthday JL!