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Robert Vos / AFP/Getty Images Johnny Griffin performs in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, in the summer of 2007. NPR.org, July 25, 2008 - Jazz musician Johnny Griffin, once billed as "the world's fastest saxophonist," has died of undisclosed causes at his home in France. He was 80. Known as the "Little Giant," Griffin stood just under 5 1/2 feet. It never hindered him, though, from becoming one of the strongest saxophonists of the post-bebop tradition. Born in Chicago in 1928, Griffin was one of many jazz giants to be trained in the music program at DuSable High School, where Captain Walter Dyett was the music director. After meeting bandleader and percussionist Lionel Hampton in a jam session, the 17-year-old Griffin was invited to tour with Hampton's orchestra. After a brief stint with the U.S. Army, Griffin returned to Chicago,... [read full story]
