"It is this analogy in Griffin's music that lifts him above the classification of just 'hard bopper'. While there is a great deal of Bird in Griffin, his tenor sax conception relates more emphatically to an earlier era than bop. Coleman Hawkins, Don Byas and Lester Young have made no small impression on him and he seems also to have listened closely to Dexter Gordon, Wardell Gray and Rollins.
"Thelonious Monk also draws 'especial bows' (as Joe Segal cited in his notes for Johnny's first Blue Note album, BLP 1533) and the reasons behind Griffin's predilection for Monk are understandable. Monk's awareness of his musical ancestry is evident in everything he plays and Griffin seems to be motivated by what are essentially the same factors. Johnny is going in the same general direction of Monk - carrying on the jazz tradition without losing sight of its basics.
"Now an intermittent member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Griffin, who was born and brought up in Chicago, has worked with, among other, Lionel Hampton, Clark Terry and Monk. This is his third Blue Note LP, BLP 1559 featured expressive 'battles' with John Coltrane and Hank Mobley.
"Sonny Clark, the blues-influenced pianist from Pittsburgh, who, until recently, spent the bulk of his career in California with the Light House All-Stars and Buddy Delfranco, provides sympathetic and firm comping and solos in a consistently interesting fashion. He says his first two most important influences have been Monk and Bud Powell - stylistically the latter's impression, filtered through Horace Silver, is the more apparent.
"Paul Chambers, who recent 'Bass on Top' album (BLP 1569) elevated him to the realized high-potential class, is represented on almost a dozen Blue Note LPs. He is equally creative as both an arco and pizzicato soloist and is, on this record as always, a strikingly intuitive accompanist.
"Kenny Dennis is a Philadelphia-born drummer who makes his recording debut here. For some time an associate of Sonny Stitt's, Kenny shows himself to be a steady, working drummer of impressive skills.
"The title tune, 'The Congregation', by Griffin, has him bouncing along in a blues-happy, foot tapping, hand clapping groove. Clark, in a Silverish vein, and Chambers solo with similar effect. This tune proves that it is possible to be funky without being angry.
"John Jenkins, the Chicago altoist and another of the gifted reedmen (Griffin, Cliff Jordan and John Gilmore are only a few of the others) who have emerged from that aread within the past several years, contributed 'Latin Quarter' which has a melody line based on that of 'Tangerine'. After the Latinesque opening Griffin takes off on the changes with a strong-toned, moving solo. Clark and Chambers deliver a pair of typical statements before Johnny returns to wail some more before finishing up with an extended ending.
"The very pretty 'I'm Glad There Is You' is taken at an unusual medium tempo but retains the aforementioned quality. Johnny's pair of solos, which precede and follow a Clark statement, are stimulating and show a mature, cohesive flow of thought.
"'Main Spring' by Griffin is a down-home blues with Johnny blowing new life into what might have been just another down-home type blues. Clark, a well oriented exponent of this sort of thing, excells in the fashion of his school and Chambers succeeds him with one of his patented and absorbing bowed solos.
"'It's You or No One' is rendered a medium-up treatment and, as the closing number of the set, gives everyone a chance to stretch out a bit: Johnny, Clark, Chambers (bowed), then Johnny again to trade some fours with Dennis before taking it out.
"That Johnny Griffin's roots are immersed in the funky earth of spirituals and the blues (and have grown from there) is what provokes and enables him to make basic statements in what can be described as an 'up to date' way. Perhaps the primary fault with too many of today's musicians is that they are only concerned with contemporary concepts. But jazz did not begin with Bird, and Griffin along with a handful of other suggest that it will not end with him either." (Robert Levin. From the liner notes.)
Performers: Johnny Griffin (t-sx), Sonny Clark (pi), Paul Chambers (bs), Kenny Dennis (dr)
A1. The Congregation
A2. Latin Quarter
A3. I'm Glad There Is You
B1. Main Spring
B2. It's You Or No One
B3. I Remember You
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