Angolian Johnny Dyani Quartet

Johnny Dyani Quartet - Song for Biko (1979) [Reissue 1987]  Music

Posted by gribovar at Jan. 16, 2020
Johnny Dyani Quartet - Song for Biko (1979) [Reissue 1987]

Johnny Dyani Quartet - Song for Biko (1979) [Reissue 1987]
EAC Rip | FLAC (image+.cue+log) - 384 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps (LAME 3.93) - 146 MB | Covers (12 MB) included
Genre: Avant-garde Jazz | RAR 3% Rec. | Label: SteepleChase (SCCD-31109)

Bassist Johnny Dyani had a large tone and a relaxed yet authoritative style. On this classic SteepleChase release he teams up with two other South African expatriates (altoist Dudu Pukwana and drummer Makay Ntshoko) plus cornetist Don Cherry for music that is haunting, emotional, somewhat adventurous, yet also melodic. While "Song for Biko" is the most memorable piece, all five of Dyani's originals (including the 16-and-a-half-minute "Jo'burg-New York") are special. The music combines together Dyani's South African folk heritage with Ornette Coleman's free bop and elements of avant-garde jazz.
Johnny Dyani & Clifford Jarvis - African Bass (Remastered) (1980/2024)

Johnny Dyani & Clifford Jarvis - African Bass (Remastered) (1980/2024)
WEB FLAC (tracks) - 159 Mb | MP3 CBR 320 kbps - 97 Mb | 00:42:02
Avant-Garde Jazz | Label: Red Records

Reissue of a 1979 duo recording of legendary South African bassist Johnny Dyani (of The Blue Notes) and drummer Clifford Jarvis (who played with Sun Ra for over two decades).
Johnny Letman Quartet & Quintet - The Four Faces of Johnny (2020)

Johnny Letman Quartet & Quintet - The Four Faces of Johnny (2020)
EAC Rip | FLAC (tracks+log+.cue) - 253 Mb | MP3 CBR 320 kbps - 123 Mb | 00:43:42
Jazz, Swing | Label: Fresh Sound Records

Johnny Letman (1917-1992) was a trumpeter and singer in the traditional- mainstream vein, who had been on the scene for quite a long time, playing with such bandleaders as Lucky Millinder and Cab Calloway, before rising to prominence in the late 50s. But his lack of recognition (on records, at least) had not been—like the fate of some other mainstreamers—a matter of simply being forgotten. Letman never was known to any extent until 1958, when he started working out of the Metropole in New York City.
Johnny Lewis Quartet - Shuckin' 'N Jivin' (Remastered) (1972/1998)

Johnny Lewis Quartet - Shuckin' 'N Jivin' (Remastered) (1972/1998)
EAC Rip | FLAC (tracks, cue, log) - 285 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps - 109 MB
45:15 | Soul-Jazz, Jazz-Funk | Label: Luv N' Haight

The hot and funky Johnny Lewis Quartet recorded this massive slab of jazz in the early 70's, when the group's lineup consisted of organ, tenor, guitar, and very very hot drums. The LP contains some excellent covers of "Cissy Strut", "Blue Funk", and "Chitlins Con Carne" – plus a great original called "Shuckin N Jivin". This reissue also includes a cover of "Them Changes" that wasn't on the original release, which is a very cool bonus, and which sounds very hard and funky! The LP's filled with hard drum breaks, great jazzy solos, and lots of very cool funky grooves. Even if you think you've already got too many obscure jazz funk albums, don't pass this one up! It's a totally great addition to any collection, and even though we didn't know it until we got this reissue, we've been playing it non-stop since we got it!

Johnny Griffin Quartet - Blues For Harvey (1973) [Reissue 1990]  Music

Posted by gribovar at Nov. 19, 2022
Johnny Griffin Quartet - Blues For Harvey (1973) [Reissue 1990]

Johnny Griffin Quartet - Blues For Harvey (1973) [Reissue 1990]
EAC Rip | WavPack (image+.cue+log) - 326 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps (LAME 3.93) - 134 MB | Covers - 9 MB
Genre: Jazz, Hard Bop | RAR 3% Rec. | Label: SteepleChase (SCCD-31004)

Johnny Griffin is heard in a pair of dates recorded in 1972 at Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen, joined by fellow American expatriates Kenny Drew and Ed Thigpen, along with bassist Mads Vinding. Most of this album is devoted to Griffin's originals. His piercing, extended blues "That Party Upstairs" is followed by a somber ballad "Alone Again" (not the bland Gilbert O'Sullivan pop hit "Along Again (Naturally)," as listed in some discographies). His remake of his early composition "Soft and Furry" features Vinding's delightful arco bass in octave unison with Griffin's tenor sax. The furious uptempo "Blues for Harvey" gives way to a turbulent pair of choruses of Thelonious Monk's "Rhythm-A-Ning."

Johnny Griffin Quartet - Way Out! (1958) [Reissue 1994]  Music

Posted by gribovar at June 22, 2020
Johnny Griffin Quartet - Way Out! (1958) [Reissue 1994]

Johnny Griffin Quartet - Way Out! (1958) [Reissue 1994]
EAC Rip | WavPack (image+.cue+log) - 214 MB | Covers (14 MB) included
Genre: Jazz, Hard Bop | RAR 3% Rec. | Label: OJC/Riverside Records (OJCCD-1855-2 (RLP-274))

This formerly obscure quartet set by tenor-saxophonist Johnny Griffin (reissued on CD in the OJC series) features the fiery soloist on five little-known originals written by Chicagoans plus a burning version of "Cherokee." Virtually all of Griffin's recordings are worth getting and, with the assistance of pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Wilbur Ware and drummer Philly Joe Jones, the tenor is in superior form for this spirited date.
Johnny Griffin Quartet - The Kerry Dancers and Other Swinging Folk (1962) [Reissue 1997, XRCD] (Re-up)

Johnny Griffin Quartet - The Kerry Dancers and Other Swinging Folk (1962) [Reissue 1997, XRCD]
EAC Rip | FLAC (image+.cue+log) - 236 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps (LAME 3.93) - 92 MB | Covers - 55 MB
Genre: Jazz, Bop, Hard Bop | RAR 3% Rec. | Label: Victor (VICJ-60102)

Many straight-ahead bop musicians would never consider recording traditional folk songs from the British Isles, but that's exactly what Johnny Griffin does on The Kerry Dancers and Other Swinging Folk - and this Orrin Keepnews-produced album just happens to be one of his best releases of the 1960s. Joined by pianist Barry Harris, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Ben Riley, the big-toned Chicago tenor man turns his attention to four traditional folk melodies: "The Londonderry Air" (also known as "Danny Boy"), "Green Grow the Rushes" (a Scottish favorite), "The Kerry Dancers" (an Irish piece), and "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair" - all of which work perfectly well in an acoustic jazz setting. Not everything on this album (which was recorded in late 1961 and early 1962) is a folk song from the British Isles; the other half of the album ranges from Griffin's moody "Oh, Now I See" to the John Coltrane-influenced "25 1/2 Daze"…

Johnny Griffin Quartet +3 - Dance Of Passion (1993)  Music

Posted by gribovar at June 26, 2020
Johnny Griffin Quartet +3 - Dance Of Passion (1993)

Johnny Griffin Quartet +3 - Dance Of Passion (1993)
EAC Rip | WavPack (image+.cue+log) - 321 MB | Covers - 25 MB
Genre: Jazz, Hard Bop | RAR 3% Rec. | Label: Antilles/Polygram (512 604-2)

This fine 1993 release finds Griffin's in the company of such stellar guest soloists as trombonist Steve Turre, tuba player Dave Bargeron, and French horn player John Clark; the band's core is made up by Griffin's then regular quartet featuring pianist Michael Weiss, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Kenny Washington. This supple but tight ensemble ably handle Griffin's rich store of seven originals and a cover of Cole Porter's "All Through the Night."

Johnny Griffin Quartet - Night Lady (1964) [Reissue 2009]  Music

Posted by gribovar at June 23, 2020
Johnny Griffin Quartet - Night Lady (1964) [Reissue 2009]

Johnny Griffin - Night Lady (1964) [Reissue 2009]
EAC Rip | WavPack (image+.cue+log) - 285 MB | Covers (14 MB) included
Genre: Jazz, Hard Bop | RAR 3% Rec. | Label: Universal Music (06025 1794191)

This album is very much the kid brother of records like Sonny Rollins' Newk's Time, where the presence of a pianist and bassist was almost incidental to the heated interplay between Rollins and drummer Philly Joe Jones. On this record, the drum chair is filled by the great Kenny Clarke, and he is in crackling form throughout this album, really driving Griffin to some creative work. Pianist Francy Boland, the co-leader with Clarke of Europe's fantastic Clarke-Boland Big Band, largely gets out of the way, comping minimally and turning in an occasional rolling, rhythmic solo. Despite being made in the mid-60s, the album refreshingly ignores Coltrane-isms in favour of a sort of Ornette Coleman-influenced hard bop of the type Jackie McLean was recording at the time…

Johnny Dyani - Afrika (1983) {SteepleChase SCCD 31186 rel 1992}  Music

Posted by ruskaval at Oct. 22, 2018
Johnny Dyani - Afrika (1983) {SteepleChase SCCD 31186 rel 1992}

Johnny Dyani - Afrika (1983) {SteepleChase SCCD 31186 rel 1992}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 382 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 149 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 7 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1983, 1992 SteepleChase | SCCD 31186
Jazz / Jazz Funk / African Jazz / Bass

For Afrika, South African expatriate bassist Johnny Dyani enlarged his group to a septet from the quartet formation he had used on prior Steeplechase recordings and, in the process, shifted gears slightly from the deeper, beautifully bitter songs that had been his forte (such as "House Arrest" on Mbizo) to a somewhat lighter fare, replete with catchy, skipping melodies and funky electric bass. Something of the township feel, so basic to his work, was also lost by replacing Dudu Pukwana with veteran saxman Charles Davis and by the odd inclusion of steel drums which supply a lilting quality.