November 2000

Martial Solal/Johnny Griffin
In and Out
Dreyfus Records

By Duck Baker

For In & Out, the "little giant" teams up with Martial Solal for a worthy addition to the tenor-piano lexicon. While Griffin is no longer as extroverted as in bygone days, he still thinks and executes very quickly. The biggest change is in his softer tone. The contrast between Griffin's relatively measured approach and the outpourings of Solal evokes at times the classic combination of Ben Webster and Art Tatum. The pianist's harmonic sense is engaging, especially when he reworks Monk.