Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Johnny Griffith: Dance With The Lady

Johnny Griffith: Dance With The Lady

By Dan Bilawsky
December 9, 2014
View read count

Can jazz stay the inventive course while remaining true to its swinging precedents and historical framework(s)? This record makes the argument that it can.

Toronto-based saxophonist Johnny Griffith has put together a program of original music that's firmly grounded in tradition, yet his approaches aren't rigidly dogmatic in nature; in other words, this record speaks to the past, but it's not another present-day date that's simply dressed in yesteryear's fashion(s). Slamming grooves and swing rhythms share living space ("The Kuleshascope"), nuanced exploration has its place ("Cinders"), strong personal statements can be heard throughout, and the band artfully creates and surfs the dynamic waves within this music.

On paper, this band looks like a quartet of like-minded Canadians upping the attention factor by adding a high profile outsider—American trumpeter

Jeremy Pelt

trumpet
b.1976

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeremy Pelt. But in truth, Griffith and his countrymen need no help on the music end, and Pelt is a team player. He seems to be fully invested in this music, so any thoughts or worries of a big-name-phoning-it scenario are unfounded. Pelt and Griffith are well matched, though Pelt often takes a more circuitous route through his solos while Griffith prefers a more direct course of engagement, and they deliver top notch performances, whether working alone, harmonizing, moving through unison lines, or shaping phrases around one another.

The rest of the band—pianist

Adrean Farrugia

keyboards

" data-original-title="" title="">Adrean Farrugia, bassist

Jon Maharaj

bass
b.1981

" data-original-title="" title="">Jon Maharaj, and drummer

Ethan Ardelli

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Ethan Ardelli—knows how to light a fire, drive a tune, or dial it back, depending on what the music calls for. Farrugia proves to be a powerful force who can speak comfortably in bluesy turns or post-bop phrases, Maharaj is a strong support player and a thoughtful soloist, and Ardelli has great range, hammering down at one moment and delivering delicate cymbal filigree the next.

On Dance With The Lady, Johnny Griffith manages to do what few artists are capable of doing successfully: he blends the styles of the past and present while projecting the attitude of today.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

The Zissou Predicament; Princess Aura Goes To Phrygia; Syrah; The Kuleshascope; Bass Interlude; The Mile Walk; Dance With The Lady; Cinders; That Night.. (Under The Bench) So Long Ago.

Personnel

Johnny Griffith

saxophone

Johnny Griffith: alto saxophone, tenor saxophone; Jeremy Pelt: trumpet; Adrean Farrugia: piano; Jon Maharaj: bass; Ethan Ardelli: drums.

Album information

Title: Dance With The Lady | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Self Produced

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Manhattan Romance
< Previous

Pete Christlieb Quintet, "Santa��s ...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.