European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 18, 1981, Darmstadt, Hesse February 1981 the stars and stripes Page 19 Griff and lockjaw make jazz look easy twi please excuse the of jazz talkers absence last but the writing of a column was doubly jeopardized by the appearances of Tenor saxophonists Johnny Griffin and Eddie lockjaw Davis at Munich domicile Griff finished a weeks stand 7 and jaws began his week the temptation was too much for me to deny and the timing of a trip to Munich to catch both artists left me no time to write a with the explanation out of the i Joe weasels you might was the time and expense expended Worth the trip is president Reagan a former film actor the answer to both questions is with the emphasis on the i have had the Opportunity to hear Griff and his current group several times in the past year and i can Only state if they get better with the ten Orist is one of the fastest hands in the business and although he comes out of the bebop Era of the forties and his Brand of Tenor sax playing is very modern sounding without losing any of the melodious Ness associated with his con his cadenza Are compositions unto them selves and never his ideas flow from a seemingly limitless yet he still allows plenty of room for his co musicians to show their Ronnie Matthews fits perfectly with As an accompanying pianist he listens carefully to what the saxophonist is doing and then picks up where the Tenor leaves off when it is his time to his improvisations Are beautifully constructed and his Mastery of the instrument never has him hesitating for an easier Way to say what he his technical proficiency is out and what he says makes Ray on is also Well matched to the he is a faultless timekeeper and an imaginative originally from the san Francisco he moved to new York several years for the inspiration that Only the big Apple seems Able to while there Are Many excellent musicians on the West the jazz scene there seems too Laid Back for the younger musicians to find the fulfilment necessary to their Tal new York is to jazz what Mecca is to a different persuasion and it seems necessary for jazz musicians to pay their dues in the Gotham City if they Are going to make it with the big and Drummond has made the group is rounded out with Young Kenny Washington on one of the Upan coming monsters on the he provides the rhythmic basis an instrumentalist of Griffins stature Griff said to me when i remarked How Good he sounded with this rhythm Section i can do no the Johnny Griffin quartet is certainly keeping Busy these Griff told me that after a Short break they will play at Keystone Korner in san Francisco for a week in then travel to Australia for several weeks before opening at seventh Avenue South in new its Good to see Griff steadily All Over the world after his 15year hiatus of self imposed exile in too and then came jaws makes it look so easy with his relaxed stance and breathy his Ballad work is enough to make one he oozed through the Bunny Berrigan cant get during the first set i caught and i asked him Between sets if he would play another Ballad next time Moonlight in Vermont was his musical reply in the next set and i almsted melted on my Perch at the it was so beautifully on uptempo numbers he makes his statements emphatically and with a seeming ease that comes from years of Davis is probably most Well known for his yearlong work As featured Tenor soloist with the count Basic he hails from new York City and worked in the bands of Cootie Lucky Andy Kirk and Louis Armstrong before joining Basic in during the lat Ter fifties he worked a Trio with organist Shirley rejoining Basic for Short his work As a booking agent for Shaw artists in 19634 gave him the background needed to become basics Road manager along with his Tenor duties when he rejoined the the band in recently he has been working with Trum Peter Harry sweets Edison As a duo of soloists with various rhythm sections but on this occasion he carried the front line by Martin Dresner Johnny Griff Griffin his Horace is also a Veteran of the jazz domiciled in Copenhagen since his background includes stints with Sonny Charles Booker Ervin and Rahsaan Roland in Europe he has played and recorded with Stanley Turrentine and Dexter among it is amazing to watch him in his right hand is partially Par Al Zed from a childhood attack of polio and he has devel oped a predominantly left handed without watch ing his it would be impossible to detect any Trace of he is so adept at using his left hand for the Highnote figures while his right keeps the chords and beat going he makes a Happy Brand of music which matches his eve present in its a pleas ure to talk with Horace As that Grin makes one feel Good All and combined with his its an irresistible pariahs rhythmic partners for this engagement were drummer Alvin Queen and bassist Reggie two very Abl equipped they sounded so Well knit As a group that i asked jaws How Long he had been working with them and was surprised to hear him say that he had just met the drummer and bassist that that one of the facets of jazz that has never ceased to amaze me How musicians unknown to each other can get together and immediately sound like Treyve been working together for for the record in Milestone records issued a double album titled the toughest tenors Milestone it is a compilation from earlier recordings of Johnny Griffin and Eddie who worked with each other in a two Tenor group in the Early it is a Fine example of the styles of both men and includes parian on piano on sever Al tracks with Junior Mance and Lloyd Mayers playing piano on Larry gales and buddy Catlett share the Bass chores and the drummer on All tracks is Ben producer Orrin Keepnews was responsible for the original sessions along with the and has put together a Fine package Deoino Strating the skills of both Griffins most recent releases on the Galaxy Label in clude Bush dance gxy5126 and return of the grif Fin the latter featuring his current group save for the who is Keith Copeland on this return was Griffs first release after living in Europe for Many years and both records were recorded at Berke in october Keepnews knows a Good thing when he sees it he produced both a current example of lockjaw work can be heard on the heavy hitter Muse records or produced by Michael Cuscuna and recorded in new York in Jan uary accompanying Davis is Albert George Duvivier Bass and Victor jaws told me it was a quickie Cut on a Stopover in new York on his Way to quickie or its on of the favor ites of my enja records were to record Davis and group live during domicile i make the but ill definitely buy their Supply song hits top had no album by Yardena Arab associated press As anyone who worked More than two minutes in the record business will Tell god created top 40 radio and hit singles to boost album theres nothing wrong with Selling lots of those Little 45 rpm of but since they Cost just about As much to make and certainly As much to pro Mote As the costlier the idea is to Hook listeners via airplay and get them to Shell out for which is Why the Good folks at Arista records were ready to move heaven and Earth not to mention two australian musicians to Rush the debut album of soft rockers air Supply into your Friendly local record you air Supply first lost in was a hit that happened before its albums the dream sounding Ballad catapulted into the top 40 a scant six weeks after it was released and was a top 10 tune seven weeks so Arista which had an option on an album but had been in no tearing hurry to put it out quickly flew in the bands Graham Russell and Russell from Sydney to put the finishing touches on the lost in love it was an unusual position for the record company to be in but business As usual for Russell and hitch who squeezed in an interview at Arista posh Century City offices moments after listening to the album for the first this is the second time weve been in this sort of says a 30yearold Dudley Moore lookalike who sings the soaring vocals on lost in love and handles most of the Lead vocalizing on the album of the same i guess the single was like a test piece to see what sort of reaction there would i we had the album ready to go the songs and All that in not surprised that the singles done As Well As it has at All because its a great in surprised that its done it so the Success of air Supply easy going sound also took the experts by Surprise when the group started out in Australia four years at that hard Rock was in Vogue which is More or less the Case in the it just proves that if its a real Good it will do Well no matter whats going on at the the air Supply Saga should inspire anyone Strug gling to make it in pop music or even thinking about Russell and Hitchcock met while performing in the chorus of the australian production or Jesus us before a strapping had tried to make it in his native Britain As a drummer and in Australia As a folksinger Hitchcock was a com Puter company employee who used to watch singers on television and i could do better than when the production moved to new they began moonlighting As a pop ensemble along with another woman in the Back in Australia and minus the they dubbed themselves air Supply and started knocking on doors with demonstration tapes of songs written mainly by lbs records answered and air Supply scored quickly with a big Selling they now have two Gold albums in their Home country and a third on the Way they also have acquired three other permanent band in they toured this country As opening act for Rod but it want easy getting a record contract Australia still is better known Here for its kangaroos and Koala bears than As the Home base of the Little River there seems to be something about australian bands people dont really want to Russell they didst they do now because theres a lot of hot stuff coming out of if the lost in love album does As Well As the air Supply will be hot stuff Russell and hitch cock Are keeping their fingers crossed and Are being wisely cautious about scheduling a tour of their own we want to get the album away and another single out just to consolidate says it would be a bit premature now to Here we lets go out on the from billboard american top singles 9 to 5 Dolly Parton i love a Rainy night Eddie Rabbit Celebration Kool and the gang woman John Lennon the tide is High Blondle keep on Loving Reo Speed Wagon the Best of times sly giving it up for your love Delbert Mcclinton same old Lang syne Dan Fogelberg full Moon hey Nineteen steely Dan
