Thursday, April 18, 2019

PAUL GRIFFIN POURS ON SOME SOUL SAUCE



Here's an album from the legendary Paul Griffin, and if you don't know who Paul Griffin was:

Paul Griffin (August 6, 1937 – June 14, 2000) was an American pianist and session musician who recorded with hundreds of musicians from the 1950s to the 1990s.

Born in Harlem, New York, he began as the touring pianist in the backing band for King Curtis and eventually worked with Bob Dylan, Steely Dan, Don McLean, the Isley Brothers, Van Morrison, the Shirelles, and Dionne Warwick. He may be best known for playing on the albums Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde, and Aja. He is extensively featured playing a virtuoso performance of gospel piano on Don McLean's single, "American Pie".

He was an arranger for The Warriors (1979) and Four Friends (1981) and performed in On Location: Robert Klein at Yale (1982) and on the soundtrack for Blue Sunshine (1976). Griffin died at age 62 at his home in New York....


''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.''


This album came out in 1968 and you can really hear the gospel influence on this one, gospel is basically where he got his start, he learned to play the piano by sitting in the first pew at Paradise Baptist Church and watching the hands of the pianist. When the pianist died, he was her replacement.

GET IT HERE

Enjoy!

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