"Full House" and Johnny Griffin

“Full House” and Johnny Griffin (129)  

Johnny Griffin’s appearance on Wes Montgomery’s “Full House” remains one of the great examples of hard bop improvisation captured live. Recorded on June 25, 1962, at Tsubo in Berkeley, California, the performance features Montgomery with an extraordinary rhythm section of Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb, along with Griffin on tenor saxophone. The tune itself, a bluesy jazz waltz in F minor composed by Montgomery, combines a Latin-flavored introduction, a memorable AABA melody, and extended solo sections that allow each musician to stretch out. Montgomery’s warm thumb-picked lines and signature octave passages are complemented perfectly by Griffin’s explosive tenor work. Nicknamed “The Little Giant,” Johnny Griffin was one of the most technically dazzling saxophonists of the hard bop era. His powerful tone, breathtaking speed, and deep bebop vocabulary made him a favorite collaborator of Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, and many others. On “Full House,” Griffin’s soulful, swinging improvisation helps elevate the performance into one of the finest live recordings in jazz history.

Wes Montgomery 

Christian McBride 

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