R.I.P. Jimmy McGriff

Jimmy McGriff, the Germantown-born bluesy jazz organist, died Saturday in his Voorhees home, his wife reports. He was 72 and had MS.

The former Philadelphia policeman and Korean War vet was discovered playing "I Got a Woman" at a Trenton club, according to the AP. A full bio of his his McGriffin' can be found here.

On his own homepage, this is the story of the way he came up:

James Harrell McGriff was born on April 3, 1936 in Philadelphia, long the capital of the jazz organ world. Such seminal jazz organists as Milt Buckner and Wild Bill Davis frequently passed through town, and it was there that Jimmy Smith laid the groundwork for modern jazz organ. Other outstanding organists associated with the City of Brotherly Love include Doc Bagley, Shirley Scott, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Joey DeFrancesco, and Charles Earland. In fact, Earland, who had played saxophone on McGriff's very first recording, a 1959 single on the White Marsh label titled "Foxy Due," learned the organ from McGriff.

Although both his mother and father were pianists, McGriff started out on bass and saxophone, later picking up drums, vibes, and piano. He served as an MP during the Korean War and spent two and a half years as a Philadelphia policeman. While on the force, he moonlighted as a bassist at Pep's Showboat, playing behind blues singer Big Maybelle and other stars of the Fifties. The lessons he learned as a bass player would later turn up in his signature organ style, which is marked by strong, swinging bass patterns.

After leaving law enforcement, McGriff turned his focus to organ and studied locally at Combe and in New York City at Juilliard, as well as privately with Jimmy Smith, "Groove" Holmes, Milt Buckner, and classical organist Sonny Gatewood. Of greater importance to McGriff's musical development, however, were his experiences as a young man at Philadelphia's Eastern Star Baptist Church. "They talk about who taught me this and who taught me that, but the basic idea of what I'm doing on the organ came from the church," he says. "That's how I got it, and I just never dropped it."

Or you can here him talk about his muse on the video below

Posted by Daniel Rubin @ 8:35 AM Permalink | 3 comments

Comments

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:08 AM, 05/27/2008

Jimmy was great --- he definitely presented blues in a different way. Although I enjoyed much of his work with Hank Crawford, I really dug a lot of his earlier recorded shades of blues, gospel & soul. Thanks for the article!

— yobill626

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 1:08 AM, 05/28/2008

I had the opportunity of meeting and talking to one of my heroes approximately 20 years ago in a club that I would frequent whenever visiting downtown Newark, NJ, called Mr. Wes. Jimmy McGriff was such a gentleman. He was knowledgable and so well traveled, he blew my mind identifying private locales in my hometown of Minneapolis-St. Paul. I never forget the wondeful hour I spent just talking to this very pleasant individual. Such easiness is quite unusual for today's celebrities. Jimmy McGriff, my hero, and his style will be sorely missed. R.I.P. Brother McGriff

— thjohnsoniii

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 1:17 AM, 05/28/2008

I will miss one of my heroes, Jimmy McGriff. I had the great pleasure of talking to him one on one approx. 20 years ago for about an hour, at a Newark, NJ club called Mr. Wes. He was so knowledgable, and surprisingly knew more private night spots in my hometown of Minneapolis-St. Paul than I. He was very pleasant to talk to, a rare quality with celebrities these days. His virtuosity on the Hammond B3 will be sorely missed. He now takes his place with the pantheon of greats that have gone on. R.I.P. Brother Jimmy McGriff

— thjohnsoniii

3 comments

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