Anyone who has ever had the privilege of hearing Rayford Griffin cut loose in one of his notorious drum solos knows they are hearing state of the art percussion. But they soon discover something even more extraordinary. These are more than talking drums; they're singing. You would swear you hear a verse, a chorus, certainly there is a melody--because you follow it note for note right up to the orgasmic bridge. And here you thought you hated drum solos!
"The thing that I loke about Rayford is that when he plays, it's something more than just rhythms. When he takes his solo, I'm always moved in a way I am rarely moved by drummers. I think it's because he makes me forget that he's hitting a tom or a kick drum - he's playing music. When he goes wild, I see a herd of wild animals running. That's what I like in a drummer; it's something more than technique."
-Jean-Luc Ponty, MODERN DRUMMER
Stanley Clark, in JAZZIZ, says, "I could talk forever about drummers. They're my favorite musicians, because a drummer can really make or break a band. And I've played with so many different drummers ... Lenny White, Billy Cobham, Steve Gadd, Tony Williams, Omar Hakim. Out of all the young drummers, Rayford Griffin is probably the best."
But don't tell him that. His bashful humility and charming ironic humor are the two elements that inspired him to name his performing ensemble "The Rayford Grinnin Show" to distinguish it from the other shows you may have seen him in lately.
Only on rare occasions, when Rayford is not in the studio or touring do Angelinos get a chance to hear him stretch out in an evening's sampling of original music with "The Rayford Grinnin Show."
In recent years he has put an increasing emphasis on writing. Currently, he just finished hi self-produced CD, "Rebirth of Cool," which incorporates the talents of jazz legends and good friends George Duke, Branford Marsalis, Stanley Clarke and many others.
"Rebirth of the Cool" is an auspicious and deliciously varied debut filled with elements that will appeal to music lovers in the jazz universe and beyond. So this drummer, this artist extraordinaire, won't be trapped behind the traps for long. Oh, sure, playing the way he does we'll want to keep him there. But only if he'll play us some of his irresistible originals, and hey, don't forget the boom mic, because as if that weren't enough, this man can sing!
