Johnny Griffin Live In France 1971 (Jazz Icons)
One of the greatest second-generation bebop tenor players, Griffin (1928-2008), was also one of the fastest. He is often remembered for speed and excitement , but here his ballad playing is an equal attraction, notably on his “When We Were One†and “Soft and Furry.†In a concert performance with Dizzy Gillespie sitting in on two pieces, and filming in a studio, the man known as The Little Giant is in superb form. His colleagues are veteran drummer Art Taylor, the young bassist Alby Cullaz and pianists Vince Benedetti and René Urtreger.