Longtime jazz fans still speak fondly of the “tough tenor tandem” of Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis and Johnny Griffin. Of course, the ancient verities as set down in the early-to-mid 1960s by Davis (1922-1986) and Griffin (b. 1928) never go out of fashion. Blues-based themes phrased in close harmonies or powerful unison, rock-hard swing, and roistering horns locked from the jump were the calling cards of the Davis-Griffin quintets. Both men had readily identifiable sounds, with “Jaws” the bigger-toned, more mainstream-oriented player and “Griff” the Gatling-gunning bebopper. Here, in front of typically finger-popping rhythm sections on their first and third LPs for Jazzland (made in 1960 and ’61, respectively), we're reminded of why Davis and Griffin--along with Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt, Al Cohn and Zoot Sims, and, in Europe, Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott--are still among the all-time winningest teams of tenor saxophonists.

with Junior Mance, Lloyd Mayers, Larry Gales, Ben Riley