Cherry Float – Johnny Griffin

A "rhythm changes" riff head at a bouncy medium tempo. The melody is quite simple, but has some specific embellishments which we show in our lead sheet. There are "turn" ornaments—16th-note triplets G-A-G replacing an 8th-note G—in each phrase of the A section. On the in head, Johnny Griffin plays these on the second A section only; the ornaments here are shown in parentheses. He plays them on both A sections of the out head. In the bridge there are grace-note figures that descend to the lower notes of the melody with brief crescendos.

This song starts right on the melody with no intro; there is a four-measure tag ending. Johnny Griffin plays the melody in a low register, so our B♭ lead sheet works both for tenor sax and for trumpet sounding an octave above. The C lead sheet would sound in the same octave on guitar as where Johnny plays it on tenor.

For another song from this album check out Grab This! This album was recorded in Los Angeles and features an all-star lineup of players who almost never otherwise recorded together. Organist Paul Bryant played on only a few recordings; his 1960 debut album "Burnin'" also features Jimmy Bond on bass. Bond also recorded a few times with guitarist Joe Pass, but "Grab This!" is drummer Doug Sides' only recording alongside Griffin, Pass, Bryant, or Bond. However, all the members of this rhythm section recorded with tenor saxophonist Curtis Amy.