Johnny Griffin (in Memorian)

It died in this thursday (2008,Jul 25) in the interior of France, to 80 years, one of myths of the jazz, the North American saxofonista Johnny Griffin. The cause of the death was not divulged. Griffin was here in 1998, for the Free Jazz Festival. Already it was not in the height, it had 70 years at the time and some excesses had mined a little its breath, but it made a pretty concert thus exactly. Diamond ring in the right hand, Johnny was good-natured and ordered to see in caipirinhas in the River and São Paulo. In palco, it played with the fumaceira that if made in the high one of its head, in the old restaurant of the Jockey Club - where they were shows of jazz old. The J.J touched Cole Porter. Johnson and Dizzy Gillespie. Of Those Things opened the show with Just One, of Cole Porter. Sonny Rollins, that comes to the TIM Festival, in October, is considered the Colossus of the jazz. Johnny Griffin, another legend of bebop, was known as the Small Giant or " fastest of the Oeste". Griffin commemorated 50 years of the writing of its first record, in 1958. Griffin started the career to the 17 years, for the hands of Lionel Hampton.

Irreverent, Bon vivant, it lived in one cidadezinha French (she also liveed in Holland for a time). In the half of years 1990, he launched Chicago, New York, Paris, recorded to celebrate its 50 years of jazz. The heading sent to the three referenciais cities in its workmanship: Chicago, where it was born; New York, where the ascension of bebop to the people side lived as Thelonious Monk; e, finally, Paris, where it costumava to present itself frequently since years 60, when was changed for France. " I do not live in Paris because not taste of cities; I prefer campo" , it counted to the State. It touched with John Coltrane, Art Blakey, Lee Morgan, Lionel Hampton. He was friend of Betty Carter. " Lady was a candy. It always had the flame, beyond great imaginação." On its career, she said: " In the truth, same taste is to amuse me and to help the people to have noitada agradável.". It appreciated erudite music, especially Rachmaninoff, Sibelius and Bartok. It also knew Villa-Wolf, " extraordinário" , and it had admiration for João Gilbert.
Fonte: O Estado de S.Paulo Journal(26/7/2008)