Johnny Griffin - Take My Hand (2025)

One of the more obscure recordings in Johnny Griffin's discography, this studio session from some time during the 1980s features the tenor saxophonist with a solid rhythm section consisting of pianist Michael Weiss, bassist Dennis Irwin, and the in-demand drummer Kenny Washington. At times, one gets the idea that Griffin has slowed down his playing style a bit, though blistering originals like "Take My Hand" quickly shake that notion. The lush, extended treatment of Billy Strayhorn's "Isfahan" (oddly credited to Griffin on the back insert) contrasts with the percolating take of Thelonious Monk's quirky and infrequently performed "Coming on the Hudson." Griffin's bluesy "Woe Is Me" is the perfect number for late, lonely nights, suggesting the last remaining patron in a bar about to close. Another bizarre packaging mistake switches the titles to "If I Should Lose You" and "Out of This World," the former a spirited hard bop arrangement, the latter ending the CD with a light Latin flavor. © Ken Dryden