Golden Hits Of The 60s”
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JIMMY MCGRIFF
I GOT A WOMAN, PART 1
(Ray Charles)
Sue 770
No. 20 November 24, 1962
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Although James Harrell McGriff (b. Apr. 3, 1936, Philadelphia) was born into a musical family–his
father was a pianist, his grandfather was a trombonist, and his brother played bass and drums– Jimmy
wanted to be a policeman when he grew up. After a two year stit during the Korean War in the U.S.
Army as an MP and extensive study at the Pennsylvania Institute of Criminology, McGriff joined the
Philadelphia police force.
It was not until McGriff heard jazz organist JIMMY SMITH playing a Hammond B-2 organ at a jam
session that he began to reconsider his life’s work. He had already toyed with the sax, violin, piano,
and bass, playing the latter with Big Maybelle and in a number of bands; including those led by Charles
Earland, Archie Shepp and Don Gardner (the Sonotones; later evolving into the pairing DON GARDNER &
DEE DEE FORD).
Smith, who lived nearby in Norristown, offered to help McGriff with his organ playing. Jimmy left the
police force, took lessons from Richard “Groove” Holmes, Milt Buckner, classical organist Sonny
Gatewood and studied keyboards at Combe College in Philedelphia and New York’s Juilliard.
In 1962, Juggy Murray signed McGriff to his New York-based Sue label. Jimmy’s instrumental reading
of Ray Charles’ “I Got A Woman” clicked with jazz, rock, and R & B fans alike (R&B: #5). His style was
jazzy, but danceable, and he continued to rack up Hot 100 chartings through the ’60s with tunes like
“All About MyGirl” (#50, R&B: #15, 1963) b/w “M.G. Blues” (#95), “The Last Minute, Part 1” #99, 1963),
“Kiko” (#79, R&B: #79, 1964), and “The Worm” (#97, R&B: #28, 1968).
In the ’80s, Jimmy saw a revival of interest in his recordings and tours; often in the accompaniment of
Hank Crawford. Reportedly, his bluesy R&B-tinged etchings have been influential in the late ’90s
creation of “acid-jazz.”