Jazz Articles about Johnny Griffith

About Johnny Griffith

Album Review

Johnny Griffith, saxophonist and synthesizer-ist for the Griffin Hiltz Trio (aka: GHT), says, in the midst of his midlife crisis, that “I can't afford a motorcycle, but I can make music." The music that he and his cohorts made, Arcade, draws its inspiration from classic '80s video games and movie themes. The music includes deep grooves and electro soundscapes, and brings to mind late'50s / early '60s exotica, plugged in and shifted into the space age. “Movie Theme ...

Album Review

Johnny Griffith: Dance With The Lady

Read "Dance With The Lady" reviewed by Edward Blanco

by Edward Blanco
March 23, 2015

Canadian saxophonist and composer Johnny Griffith is a multi-JUNO Award nominee and leads a vibrant quintet of first-call musicians on their debut recording entitled Dance With The Lady, comprised of nine stellar originals in the contemporary jazz mold exhibiting influences from the great Joe Henderson, Kenny Wheeler, Andrew Hill and Anton Weber among others. Grounded in a strong jazz tradition, the music seems to flow from a post-bop to a modern main stream direction encompassing a good share of creative ...

Album Review

Johnny Griffith: Dance With The Lady

Read "Dance With The Lady" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
December 9, 2014

Can jazz stay the inventive course while remaining true to its swinging precedents and historical framework(s)? This record makes the argument that it can. Toronto-based saxophonist Johnny Griffith has put together a program of original music that's firmly grounded in tradition, yet his approaches aren't rigidly dogmatic in nature; in other words, this record speaks to the past, but it's not another present-day date that's simply dressed in yesteryear's fashion(s). Slamming grooves and swing rhythms share living ...