“Rebirth of the Cool, sounds like a late night meeting of Miles Davis and Marvin Gaye over which Rayford reminisces on the cult of jazz cool.”
ABOUT REBIRTH OF THE COOL
After decades spent lending his drumming magic to a diverse resume of artists that ranges from Jean-Luc Ponty, Stanley Clarke, Rick Braun, BWB and George Duke to Michael Jackson, Bette Midler and Patrice Rushen, Mr. Griffin emerges from the drum riser to equally showcase his writing, arranging, drumming AND singing gifts on his phenomenal Rebirth of the Cool.
Much of the album was conceived and recorded in Rayford’s Razoredge home studio, allowing him plenty of relaxed time to develop the material along the way. “I didn’t want to beat people over the head with an album of drum solos, odd meters and fast playing,” Rayford shares. “I wanted to be as musical as possible with something for everybody, and also show how drums could be a part of that without being offensive.” That’s quite a statement coming from a drummer whose concert solos have brought fellow players and lay people alike to their feet with awe, appreciation and an adrenaline rush. Griffin is a technical master who brings to his towering arsenal of drums and percussion toys an engrained knack for groove and a graceful style that is always complementary to anyone with whom he plays. Rebirth of the Cool completes this portrait of the artist as so much more.
The album is a decidedly personal and contemporary take on Rayford’s appreciation of tradition. The heart of the music is rooted in a tangy fusion of raw funk and relentlessly swingin’ jazz (“Lids and Squares” and “Kings”), but there are also songs of melodic beauty and radio-friendly panache (“Everytime I See U” and “In Your Eyes”). There are blazin’ jazz-rock fusion workouts (“Coffee” and “Folake’”) that will have aspiring drummers getting out there notepads. There is also a dynamic straight-ahead number (“Jazzi Ray”) that recalls the aural signature of big band great, Neil Hefti.
Two pieces that feature Rayford singing lead are richly harmonic surprises. First is the title track, “Rebirth of the Cool,” which sounds like a late night meeting of Miles Davis and Marvin Gaye over which Rayford reminisces on the cult of jazz cool. Then there is “All That,” a flirtatious mack track crooned to a sexy lady who has captivated Rayford with her bewitching layers of allure. “I worked with Manhattan Transfer for a week or so at one point,” Rayford states. “Their sound was in my head when I wrote that one.”
Rayford’s reputation afforded him the opportunity to work with the finest, most versatile names in music on this crucial debut, including percussionist Munyungo Jackson, guitarists Dwight Sills, Jamie Glaser and his brother Reggie Griffin, bassists Sekou Bunch, Larry Kimpell and Keith Jones, keyboardists Nick Smith, Deron Johnson and Rob Mullins, violinist Karen Briggs, and horn players Branford Marsalis, Everette Harp, “Patches” Stewart, Walt Fowler and Brandon Fields, among others. “I know my limits and strengths,” says Rayford, reflecting on the skills he is exposing for the first time on this record. “I’m hard-pressed to call myself a singer when I have worked with some of the best. The same goes for musicians. I can play some percussion, but Munyungo is a true percussionist. I respect people who put in the time.” Rayford has punched that clock, too.
