Johnny Griffin
Tenor Sax Solo on
Blues Five Spot

About

Johnny Griffin's tenor saxophone solo is the first of four improvisations on this live recording from the Five Spot Cafe. Taking eight choruses of the 12-bar blues in B-flat at 138 BPM, Griffin delivers a marathon solo of extraordinary stamina and inventiveness, his rapid-fire lines building in waves of intensity over the form. Griffin takes the last two choruses a cappella starting at 3:10, the unaccompanied passages showcasing his powerful sound and improvisational fearlessness in one of the most thrilling moments on the album.

Johnny Griffin was 29 to 30 years old at the time.