In a striking parallel with Don Byas a decade and a half earlier, Griffin left the USA in his mid-thirties (1962, to be precise) and, except for an occasional return visit, spent the rest of his life in Europe. And he kept pretty busy, not only with a couple of part-time big bands, but mainly in his preferred quartet setting using rhythm sections all over the Continent.

Griffin had a distinctive sound too, with a near-hysterical edge that fitted his sometimes Bird-influenced phraseology and, on this Spanish concert, he added some interesting tonal effects. His period as a Monk sideman in 1958 is recalled by an extra-fast ‘Rhythm-A-Ning’ and a very slow ‘Blue Monk’ as well as two Monkish originals, ‘The Cat’ and ‘A Monk’s Dream’ (which is not to be confused with Monk’s own ‘Monk’s Dream’ - if you follow me).

The two remaining tracks are well-worn standards and, despite Griffin’s humorous quotations seeming a bit mechanical, he impresses with a whole 32 bars unaccompanied at slow tempo on ‘Sophisticated Lady’. The rhythm section fill their standard roles with aplomb, the French pianist Sellin being compelling if sometimes over-long, which could also be said of Johnson and Sides when they get some solo space. But the live balance is excellent, with the drums not too prominent and the audience barely audible, making for a rewarding 71 minutes.