Artist page · 04/07/2026
About
Eight LP albums, notable originals on Blue Note and SteepleChase; prices range from €22 to €869 for prime mono pressings.
Johnny Griffin was a tenor saxophone player rooted in Chicago's jazz tradition. He studied music locally before joining prominent bands in the 1940s and 1950s, including Lionel Hampton's orchestra and Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. Griffin’s discography includes seminal hard bop albums recorded mainly in the late 1950s and early 1960s for labels like Blue Note and Riverside.
Throughout his career, Griffin also collaborated with jazz legends such as Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane. Moving to Europe in the early 1960s, he continued recording and performing, shaping his legacy over decades until his passing in 2008.
Discography
Studio albums, EPs and notable live records, from newest to oldest. Drag the timeline to browse.
Who's Who In Jazz · 1988
Uptown Records · 1983
Galaxy · 1983
Galaxy · 1982
Jeton · 1981
Galaxy · 1981
Galaxy · 1981
Galaxy · 1980
Trio Records · 1979
Galaxy · 1979
Galaxy · 1979
Four Leaf Clover Records · 1978
Timeless · 1978
Joker · 1977
Atlantic · 1975
Horo Records · 1974
Atlantic · 1974
SteepleChase · 1973
Black Lion Records · 1972
MPS Records · 1970
Polydor · 1969
Vogue Schallplatten · 1969
Atlantic · 1964
Prestige · 1964
Prestige · 1964
Riverside Records · 1963
Prestige · 1963
Riverside Records · 1962
Riverside Records · 1961
Riverside Records · 1961
Riverside Records · 1961
Jazzland · 1961
Prestige · 1961
Riverside Records · 1959
Riverside Records · 1959
Blue Note · 1958
Riverside Records · 1958
Riverside Records · 1958
Blue Note · 1957
Blue Note · 1957Playlist
The tracks that sum up Johnny Griffin's career.
The essentials
Our pick, validated by the editorial team.
Griffin’s Blue Note debut highlighting his burgeoning hard bop style with seven tracks featuring compositions like "Mil Dew" and "Lover Man."
Collaborative Blue Note album featuring Griffin with John Coltrane, spotlighting four extended hard bop performances.
Blue Note album renowned for its bop style, containing five tracks including the title and "I'm Glad There Is You."
Go further
Artists who share part of Johnny Griffin's musical DNA.
Collectors
The hidden side of the catalogue: rare pressings, sought-after matrices, Discogs values.
For each reference edition, these cards summarise the state of the global Discogs market. Market position places the average price of a copy between the observed min and max prices. Average price is the price seen for a mint-condition copy. Copies available counts listings currently for sale. Collectors who want it is the number of Discogs users who added it to their wantlist without owning it — a good signal of upcoming demand.
The “Why this rarity” column comes from our upstream sourcing work: for each album, we explain what makes this pressing sought after by collectors (limited run, specific matrix, withdrawn edition…).
Face B
Studio secrets, touring anecdotes and B-sides worth the whole album.
"Johnny Griffin's incisive lyrical style combines a remarkable technique with vibrant contrasts across his performances."— Jazz Dictionary
The original mono pressing of Johnny Griffin's 1958 album The Congregation on Blue Note (catalog number BLP 1580) is notable for its high collector demand, with a want/have ratio of 4.3:1 and only 3 copies currently for sale, often priced up to €522.
Griffin's 1957 debut album Introducing Johnny Griffin was released on Blue Note in mono format (BLP 1533). Its original US pressing maintains a high collector demand with a want/have ratio of 4.8:1 and around 4 copies available for about €435.
In 1957, Johnny Griffin recorded the album A Blowing Session on Blue Note, featuring John Coltrane. This original mono pressing (BLP 1559) is highly sought after, with prices reaching €869 and a want/have collector ratio near 3.8:1.
Recorded live in 1964 at Ronnie Scott's Club, this album captures Griffin's bebop mastery during his European period, released later on Gearbox Records.
FAQ
The most common questions about pressings, reissues and limited editions.
Johnny Griffin was an American jazz tenor saxophonist born in Chicago in 1928, renowned for hard bop and bebop styles through the mid-20th century.
Key vinyl albums include Introducing Johnny Griffin (1957), A Blowing Session (1957), and The Congregation (1958), all on Blue Note with notable original mono pressings.
Johnny Griffin was born in Chicago, United States, where he began his career, recording many of his major albums in the US, primarily on Blue Note Records.
The late 1950s to early 1960s is the prime era for Griffin's hard bop albums, including original mono pressings highly valued by collectors.
Original Blue Note mono pressings from the late 1950s feature rare audio quality and high collector interest, often commanding premium prices.
Yes, Johnny Griffin moved to Europe in the early 1960s, initially to France, then the Netherlands, before returning to France later in his life.
Vinyles.com offers reissues of Introducing Johnny Griffin, A Blowing Session, and The Congregation albums, with pricing and pressing details updated in real time.
Listening to original or remastered mono LPs from the late 1950s, such as Introducing Johnny Griffin, allows new listeners to experience Griffin’s incisive tone and technique most fully.
Transparency
This page is compiled by the vinyles.com editorial team from public sources and our marketplace.
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