International Archives For The Jazz Organ (IAJO) - The Jazz Organ Scene USA

Paul Griffin

Paul Griffin, born 1938 in Harlem, learnt to play the piano by watching the pianist playing in the Baptist Church. His interest led him to study classical music at the High School of Music and Art. He first played viola in the All-City Orchestra and worked as an accompanist at the Apollo Theatre. Paul got his first professional engagement when King Curtis, the famous saxophonist, heard him there. They toured and made recordings together.

1960, after some years of touring with King Curtis, Paul became a member of the Scepter Records House Band. He also worked for various producers and singers. 1965, Paul became part of the folk and rock scene. He played the piano and the organ for Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Peter Paul & Mary, Carly Simon, and many more. Ten years later, a deep cooperation with Steely Dan began. "There are some musicians who are hacks," Donald Fagen of Steely Dan once said, "and then there are guys like Paul who can create something so different and unique they make the record." In the 80's, Paul also gave lessons, wrote arrangements and recorded commercial jingles.

Paul Griffin died on 14 June 2000.

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Discography

Blues Around the Clock Prestige PR 7314 released 1964 recorded November 1963 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USA	Jimmy Witherspoon, vocals Lord Westbrook, guitar Paul Griffin, Hammond organ Leonard Gaskin, bass Herbie Lovelle, drums
Unforgettable (A Tribute To Dinah Washington) Columbia CS 8963 released 1964	Aretha Franklin, piano, vocals Buddy Lucas, tenor sax, harmonica Bob Asher, trombone Ernie Royal, trumpet Paul Griffin, organ Ernie Hayes, organ, piano Teddy Charles, vibraphone George Duvivier, bass Gary Chester, drums
Latin Fever Atlantic 1422 released 1964 recorded in New York City/USA and Rio de Janeiro/Brazil	Hernie Mann, flute Paulo Moura, tenor sax, trumpet Ernie Royal, trumpet, flugelhorn Pedro Paulo, trumpet Clark Terry, trumpet, flugelhorn Durval Ferreira, guitar Baden Powell, guitar Bill Suyker, guitar Paul Griffin, piano, organ Antonio Carlos Jobim, piano Sergio Mendes, piano Otavio Bailly jr., bass Gabriel, bass Nabil Totah, bass Rudy Collins, drums Juquinha, drums Bobby Thomas, drums Dom Um, drums George Devens, percussion
Hammond Swing Somerset 641 released 1965	Paul Griffin, Hammond organ further details unknown
Blow-Up MGM Records SE4447 ST released 1966 recorded October 1966 in New York City/USA	Herbie Hancock, piano, melodica Phil Woods, alto sax Joe Henderson, tenor sax Freddie Hubbard, trumpet Joe Newman, trumpet Jim Hall, guitar Paul Griffin, organ Ron Carter, bass Jack DeJohnette, drums Except track B1 performed by the Yardbirds: Jeff Beck, guitar Jimmy Page, guitar Keith Relf, harmonica, vocals Chris Dreja, bass Jim McCarty, drums
Soul Flutes - Trust In Me CTI Records SP-3009 released 1968 recorded February and March 1968 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USA	Herbie Mann, flute (not confirmed) Hubert Laws, flute (not confirmed) George Marge, flute Joel Kaye, flute Romeo Penque, flute Stan Webb, flute Bucky Pizzarelli, guitar Eric Gale, guitar Paul Griffin, organ Herbie Hancock, piano, organ, harpsichord Henry Watts, vibes, marimba Ron Carter, bass Grady Tate, drums
The Great Byrd Columbia CS 9747 released 1968	Charlie Byrd, guitar Mario Darpino, flute Romeo Penque, piccolo flute, alto flute, English horn, recorder Vinnie Bell, guitar Herbie Hancock, piano Paul Griffin, piano, organ Chuck Rainey, bass Joe Mack, bass Bernard Purdie, drums Bobby Rosengarden, drums, percussion Phil Kraus, percussion Specs Powell, percussion
Mr. Blues Plays Lady Soul Atlantic SD 1523 released 1969 recorded January 1966 through February 1969	Hank Crawford, alto sax, piano Arif Mardin, conductor Gene Orloff, leader Frank Wess, alto sax Wendell Harrison, tenor sax David "Fathead" Newman, tenor sax, flute Seldon Powell, tenor sax Pepper Adams, baritone sax Howard Johnson, baritone sax Lonnie Shaw, baritone sax Jimmy Cleveland, trombone Benny Powell, trombone Fielder Floyd, trumpet Bernie Glow, trumpet John Hunt, trumpet Joe Newman, trumpet Ernie Royal, trumpet Snooky Young, trumpet Sonny Forriest, guitar Eric Gale, guitar Paul Griffin, organ, piano Richard Tee, piano Ron Carter, bass Charles Dungey, bass Charles Green, bass Jerry Jemmott, bass Charles Lindsay, bass Chuck Rainey, bass Joe Dukes, drums Wilbert G.T. Hogan, drums Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, drums Milt Turner, drums Specs Powell, percussion
Burnin' Atlantic SD 1565 released 1970 recorded live at Freddie Jett's Pied Piper in Los Angeles, CA/USA	Esther Phillips, vocals King Curtis, tenor sax Joe Newman, trumpet Joe Gentle, flute Cornell Dupree, guitar Paul Griffin, organ Richard Tee, organ Jack Wilson, piano Chuck Rainey, bass Ike Isaacs, bass Donald Bailey, drums
The Free Design: One By One Project 3 Total Sound PR 5061SD released 1972	Babe Clarke, sax Seldon Powell, sax Garnett Brown, trombone Alan Reubin, trumpet, flugelhorn Ernie Royal, trumpet, flugelhorn Chris Dedrick, trumpet, piano, vocals Randy Brecker, trumpet, flugelhorn Jack Jeffers, bass trombone Jerry Friedman, guitar Stu Scharf, guitar Bob Mann, guitar Paul Griffin, organ Pat Ribboloff, piano Andy Muson, bass Tom Seznesiak, bass Billy Cobham, drums Gary Gauger, drums Ellen Dedrick, percussion Gary Gauger, percussion Ellen Dedrick, vocals Sandy Dedrick, vocals
Soul Is... Pretty Purdie Flying Dutchman FD-10154 released 1972	Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, drums, vocals Ralph MacDonald, conductor, congas Jimmy Powell, alto sax Charlie Brown, tenor sax Seldon Powell, tenor sax Harold Vick, tenor sax Arthur "Babe" Clarke, baritone sax Garnett Brown, trombone Danny Moore, trumpet Ernie Royal, trumpet Selwart Clarke, alto clarinet Jay Berliner, guitar Lloyd Davis, guitar Cornell Dupree, guitar Billy Nichols, guitar Paul Griffin, organ Horace Ott, piano Richard Tee, organ string section Gerald Jemmott, bass Paul Martinez, bass Gordon "Specs" Powell, percussion Norman Pride, bongos, congas, percussion Eileen Gilbert, vocals Carl Hall, vocals Hilda Harris, vocals Barbara Massey, vocals Maretha Stewart, vocals
Sassy Soul Strut Blue Note BN-LA109-F released 1973 recorded April 1973 in New York City/USA	Lou Donaldson, alto sax Thad Jones, trumpet Garnett Brown, trombone Seldon Powell, tenor sax, flute Buddy Lucas, harmonica Paul Griffin, piano, organ Horace Ott, piano Hugh McCracken, guitar David Spinozza, guitar John Tropea, guitar Wilbur Bascomb, bass Bernard Purdie, drums Omar Clay, percussion Jack Jennings, percussion
The Manhattan Transfer: Coming Out Atlantic SD 18183 released 1976 recorded in New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA/USA	Michael Brecker, soprano sax, tenor sax Jackie Kelso, tenor sax, baritone sax Jay Migliori, tenor sax Randy Brecker, trumpet Ben Benay, guitar Bob Bowles, guitar Robert Bowles, guitar Ira Newborn, guitar Paul Griffin, organ, synthesizer John Barnes, piano Dr. John, piano Dave Frishberg, piano Arthur Jenkins, piano Clarence McDonald, piano, percussion Mike Melvoin, piano Bill Payne, piano Roger Steinman, piano Steve Paietta, accordion Andy Muson, bass Jim Gordon, drums Jim Keltner, drums David Kemper, drums Roy Markowitz, drums Jim Nelson, drums Rick Shlosser, drums Ringo Starr, drums Bobbye Hall, percussion Ralph MacDonald, percussion Nicky Marrero, percussion, timbales Bobbye Porter, percussion John "Dandy" Rodriguez, percussion Doug Throngren, percussion Tim Hauser, vocals Laurel Massé, vocals Alan Paul, vocals Janis Siegel, vocals
Mr. Excitement! Rhino Records R2 70775 released 1992 compilation	Jackie Wilson, vocals Phil Bodner, alto sax Jerome Richardson, tenor sax Ed Bearfield, sax Buddy Lucas, sax Seldon Powell, sax Sam "The Man" Taylor, sax Jimmy Cleveland, trombone Herbie Green, trombone Frank Rehak, trombone Frank Sarroco, trombone Jimmy Nottingham, trumpet Ernie Royal, trumpet Don Arnone, guitar Everett Barksdale, guitar Cornell Dupree, guitar Eric Gale, guitar William Johnson, guitar Mundell Lowe, guitar Carl Lynch, guitar, bass Helen MacDowell, guitar Wally Richardson, guitar Johnny Trupee, guitar Frank Owens, piano Count Basie, piano George Butcher, piano Leroy Glover, piano Paul Griffin, organ, piano Ernie Hayes, organ, piano Bert Keyes, piano David Martin, piano string section George Duvivier, bass Leonard Gaskin, bass Milt Hinton, bass James Tyrell, bass Gary Chester, drums Panama Francis, drums Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, drums Warren Smith, drums, percussion Artie Butler, percussion George Devins, percussion Jack Jennings, percussion Phil Kraus, percussion Linda Hopkins, vocals
The Best Of King Curtis Capitol Jazz D 115560 recorded August 1962 through March 1965	King Curtis, tenor sax Billy Butler, guitar Cornell Dupree, guitar Paul Griffin, organ, piano Ernie Hayes, organ George Stubbs, piano Chuck Rainey, bass Jimmy Lewis, bass James Tyrell, bass Ray Lucas, drums
Jazz Me Blues Prestige PRCD-11008-2 compilation, recorded 1956 - 1969	Jimmy Witherspoon, vocals Hidle Brown Barnum, conductor Leo Wright, alto sax, tambourine Jimmy Allen, tenor sax Teddy Edwards, tenor sax Coleman Hawkins, tenor sax Clifford Scott, tenor sax Ben Webster, tenor sax Pepper Adams, baritone sax Gerry Mulligan, baritone sax William Green, sax Charlie Kennedy, sax Harold Land, sax Jay Migliori, sax Ted Nash, sax Maurice Simon, sax Lew McCreary, trombone Frank Rosolino, trombone Richard Taylor, trombone Bill Watrous, trombone John Anderson, trumpet Martin Banks, trumpet Bobby Bryant, trumpet, flugelhorn Harry "Sweets" Edison, trumpet Roy Eldridge, trumpet Conrad Gozzo, trumpet Al Porcino, trumpet Gerald Wilson, trumpet Woody Herman, clarinet Kenny Burrell, guitar Herman Burell Mitchell, guitar Al Viola, guitar T-Bone Walker, guitar Chauncey Westbrook, guitar Ernie Freeman, piano Paul Griffin, organ Hampton Hawes, piano Earl Hines, piano Roger Kellaway, piano Bert Kendrix, organ Gildo Mahones, piano Henry McDode, piano Bill Miller, piano Jimmy Rowles, piano Arthur Wright, harmonica string section Vernon Alley, bass Jimmy Bond, bass Richard Davis, bass Leonard Gaskin, bass Jimmy Hamilton, bass Clarence Jones, bass George Tucker, bass Leroy Vinnegar, bass Mel Lewis, drums Herb Lovelle, drums Jimmy Miller, drums Earl Palmer, drums Wayne Robertson, drums Jimmie Smith, drums

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