Technical


suspect
cd review

Frank Griffith

Record Review

 Frank Griffith

“The Suspect”

(hep jazz HEP CD 2077)

Brookland • Afterthoughts • Folks Who Live On The Hill • The Suspect • Lonely Evening • I’ll Be Around • JCC • Liberty Bell • Richochet

Frank Griffith (tenor sax, leader), Tom Harrell (trumpet, fluegelhorn), Joel Weiskopf (piano), James Genus (bass), John Hart (guitar), Billy Drummond (drums). From Lonely Evening onwards Chris Rogers (trumpet) replaces Tom Harrell.

 

This is an outstanding recording. As if it were not enough to have the glorious Tom Harrell (ex Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Horace Silver, Phil Woods and many more) featured on this CD we also have the equally outstanding Chris Rogers replacing him on some of the tracks. Add to these Joel Weiskopf, a piano player to die for (especially on his composition Lonely Evening) and a rhythm section that blends and phrases magnificently with the winds. With tenorist Frank Griffith writing the scores you have a package you’ll want to listen to again and again.

Remember Frank’s great score of The Suspect on Pete Cater’s Playing With Fire album?  Well it’s no less amazing with this small group. And the recording technique is so good that you can hear and almost feel the stereo separation between Billy Drummond’s cymbals.

In Frank’s cover notes he says spirited solos abound. Well, you can say that again.


May 2002
Composer, arranger, teacher Frank Griffith has recently delivered a 3000 word paper at the 2002 Leeds International Jazz Educators Conference on the topic of teaching adult learners jazz improvisation skills. It has been published recently on the music:ed website. If you'd like to take a look, click here to log on to the site.