Earlier this week, I posted on trombonist Michael Gee. Throughout his career, Gee would record with tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin. Their first union came in 1948, while in the Joe Morris Orchestra. A year later, they were together on Wynonie Harris's famed proto-rock 'n' roll hit Drinkin' Wine, Spo-Dee-o-Dee. In 1960, Gee was in Griffin's band, for the recording of The Big Soul-Band for Riverside.
Then in 1963, they recorded together again, and both received top billing on an album that Bill Kirchner reminded of last week. It's Soul Groove, for Atlantic, with Matthew Gee (tb), Johnny Griffin (ts), Hank Jones (p,org) or Big John Patton (org), Aaron Bell (b,tu), Art Taylor (d) and Carlos "Patato" Valdes (cga,bgo).
One of the album's best songs is Gee's composition Here, but I'm going to throw in three more:.
Here's Gee's composition Here, with Hank Jones on organ...
And here's Lou Donaldson's At Sundown, with Hank Jones on piano...
Another? Here's Gee's Twist City, with Big John Patton on organ...
Last one: Here's Gee's Renee, with Patton on organ...
Bonus: Here's Wynonie Harris's Drinkin' Wine, Spo-Dee-o-Dee...
Other Perfection tracks in this ongoing series...
- Paul Desmond and Jim Hall: Any Other Time, go here.
- John Coltrane: You Say You Care, go here.
- Quincy Jones: Funk Junction, go here.
- Art Farmer's Work of Art, go here.
- Miles Davis: A Gal in Calico, go here.
- Gene Krupa: Mulligan Stew, go here.
- Dave Brubeck: The Duke, go here.
- Horace Silver: The Back Beat, go here.
- Horace Parlan: Up & Down, go here.
- Dexter Gordon: Society Red, go here.
- Barney Kessel: You Go to My Head, go here.
- Count Basie: Corner Pocket, go here.
- Herbie Mann: Manteca, go here.
- Donald Byrd: Bronze Dance, go here.
- George Shearing: I'll Be Around, go here.
- Ammmons & Stitt: You Talk That Talk, go here.
- Count Basie: Blues in My Heart, go here.
- Moonlight in Vermont, go here.
