The Kerry Dancers | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1962 | |||
Recorded | December 21, 1961; January 5 & 29, 1962 | |||
Studio | Plaza Sound Studios, NYC | |||
Genre | Jazz | |||
Length | 38:55 | |||
Label | Riverside RLP 420 | |||
Producer | Orrin Keepnews | |||
Johnny Griffin chronology | ||||
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The Kerry Dancers (subtitled and Other Swinging Folk) is the album which was recorded by jazz saxophonist Johnny Griffin during the late 1961 and early 1962 period, and it was subsequently released by the Riverside label. [1]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [3] |
The AllMusic site reviewer Alex Henderson stated: "Many straight-ahead bop musicians would never consider recording traditional folk songs from the British Isles, but that's exactly what Johnny Griffin does... one of his best releases of the 1960s... The Kerry Dancers and Other Swinging Folk is among the many Griffin releases that the Chicagoan can be proud of". [2]
Coleman Randolph Hawkins, nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. One of the first prominent jazz musicians on his instrument, as Joachim E. Berendt explained: "there were some tenor players before him, but the instrument was not an acknowledged jazz horn". Hawkins biographer John Chilton described the prevalent styles of tenor saxophone solos prior to Hawkins as "mooing" and "rubbery belches". Hawkins denied being first and noted his contemporaries Happy Caldwell, Stump Evans, and Prince Robinson, although he was the first to tailor his method of improvisation to the saxophone rather than imitate the techniques of the clarinet. Hawkins' virtuosic, arpeggiated approach to improvisation, with his characteristic rich, emotional, and vibrato-laden tonal style, was the main influence on a generation of tenor players that included Chu Berry, Charlie Barnet, Tex Beneke, Ben Webster, Vido Musso, Herschel Evans, Buddy Tate, and Don Byas, and through them the later tenormen, Arnett Cobb, Illinois Jacquet, Flip Phillips, Ike Quebec, Al Sears, Paul Gonsalves, and Lucky Thompson. While Hawkins became known with swing music during the big band era, he had a role in the development of bebop in the 1940s.
Edward F. Davis, known professionally as Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. It is unclear how he acquired the moniker "Lockjaw" : it is either said that it came from the title of a tune or from his way of biting hard on the saxophone mouthpiece. Other theories have been put forward.
John Arnold Griffin III was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of his death. A pioneering figure in hard bop, Griffin recorded prolifically as a bandleader in addition to stints with pianist Thelonious Monk, drummer Art Blakey, in partnership with fellow tenor Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and as a member of the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band after he moved to Europe in the 1960s. In 1995, Griffin was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music.
Johnny Dillard Lytle was an American jazz drummer and vibraphonist.
Matthew Gee was an American bebop trombonist.
In Orbit is an album by jazz trumpeter Clark Terry, also featuring Thelonious Monk, which was recorded in New York on May 7 & 12, 1958.
Branching Out is an album by jazz cornetist Nat Adderley released on the Riverside label featuring performances by Adderley with Johnny Griffin, and The Three Sounds.
Sayin' Somethin' is an album by jazz cornetist Nat Adderley released on the Atlantic label featuring four performances by Adderley with an 11-piece orchestra and four by Adderley's Quintet with Joe Henderson, Herbie Hancock, Bob Cranshaw, and Roy McCurdy.
Recollections of the Big Band Era is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded in 1962 and 1963 by Bruce Swedien at Universal Recording Corporation in Chicago for the Reprise label but not released until 1974 on the Atlantic label. The album features performances of compositions associated with big bands led by artists such as Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway and others by the Duke Ellington's Orchestra. The 1989 CD reissue included 11 bonus tracks that originally appeared on Will Big Bands Ever Come Back? which was released on Reprise in 1965.
The Big Soul-Band is an album by the Johnny Griffin Orchestra, led by jazz saxophonist Johnny Griffin, featuring arrangements by Norman Simmons. It was released on the Riverside label in 1960.
Elvin! is a jazz album by drummer Elvin Jones recorded in 1961 and 1962 and released on the Riverside label. It features Jones playing in a group with his brothers, trumpeter Thad and pianist Hank, along with tenor saxophonist Frank Foster, flautist Frank Wess and bassist Art Davis.
Lookin' at Monk! is an album by saxophonists Johnny Griffin and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis featuring compositions associated with Thelonious Monk recorded in 1961 and released on the Jazzland label.
Blues Up & Down is an album by saxophonists Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Johnny Griffin recorded in 1961 and released on the Jazzland label.
Sound of Christmas is an album of Christmas music by the Ramsey Lewis Trio, recorded in 1961 and released on the Argo label. The album rose to No. 8 on the Billboard Christmas LPs chart. Lewis recorded a second seasonal album, More Sounds of Christmas, in 1964.
Change of Pace is an album by jazz saxophonist Johnny Griffin which was recorded in 1961 and released on the Riverside label.
White Gardenia is an album by jazz saxophonist Johnny Griffin with brass and strings which was recorded in 1961 and released on the Riverside label. Intended as a tribute album to jazz singer Billie Holiday, who had died two years earlier, she had sung all of the songs, except for the title track, which is the only original composition by Griffin on the album. The white gardenia was the flower Holiday often wore in her hair. The orchestral arrangements were written by Melba Liston and Norman Simmons.
Tough Tenor Favorites is an album by saxophonists Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Johnny Griffin recorded in 1962 and released on the Jazzland label.
Jug & Dodo is a 1972 double album featuring pianist Dodo Marmarosa and saxophonist Gene Ammons. It was recorded in 1962, but was not released until ten years later, on the Prestige label.
Most Much! is an album by saxophonist Jimmy Forrest recorded in 1961 and released on the Prestige label.
Blue Stroll is an album by American jazz multi-instrumentalist Ira Sullivan, which was recorded in 1959 and released on Delmark. He leads a quintet with saxophonist Johnny Griffin, pianist Jodie Christian, bassist Victor Sproles and drummer Wilbur Campbell.