About Me
"the spirit of jazz will remake serious music,
but the sounds of jazz will not be used."
-ed bland, 1959
Griffin has opened for Sean Costello, Otis Taylor, Taj Mahal, James McMurtry, Scott Holt, Larry Garner, Scott H. Biram, David Lindley & Wally Ingram, Anders Osborne, The Subdudes, Shotgun Hodown, Stray Grass, Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin, Uranium Blues Band, and Muddy Waters alumni band Legends of Chicago Blues—featuring Carey Bell, Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith, and Hubert Sumlin.
Seasoned, experienced, thick-skinned, and with hands usually stained o' the blood & guts of Colorado River catfish, Griffin has performed on many sidewalks, stages, and dirt lots in a wide variety of environments. Some hostile, some forgiving.
C.L. Griffin's third record is in development. Albeit, arrested development, that is. He has taken the past couple years to build a gourd banjo, to read the Bible from cover to cover, to bang out some old-time claw-hammer banjo on the five-string, to learn to play an old syrup can, to watch beans simmer in bacon fat and water, and to follow through on the struggle and humble responsibility of raising two beautiful, very weird young women. Of late, he is learning a little footwork, too---flatfoot & buck. He may take up Cajun accordion. Griffin still sets up his guitars like Muddy Waters said to, and still says "Elvis gospel songs wake me up at night."
Griffin’s 2nd record, Memphis, features eleven original roots blues & gospel blues songs performed and recorded lo-fi, electrifried, one-man band. Griffin recorded Memphis at Brad Webb's Memphis studio in one afternoon session in April 2006.
Griffin’s first record is the solo, acoustic In the Morning When I Rise. Released in May 2001, it contains ten original songs, thirteen tracks total. It features first-take studio recordings of Griffin vocals, harmonica, acoustic guitar, and bottleneck slide resonator guitar.
All tracks on both of Griffin’s CDs are FCC-cool, and suitable for Radio airplay.
By trade, Griffin has worked most recently as a night janitor, landscaper & gardener, pawn shop clerk, and stone-design apprentice. Griffin also served for over three years in the early 2000s as deacon at the True Vine Church of God in Christ.
Now, Griffin works for Refocus, Inc., a faith-based outreach mission organization that helps, serves, and restores hope to the homeless or convicted, to the fatherless or widowed, to outcasts or strangers. Griffin and Refocus, Inc founded the weekly Hungry Brothers & Sisters Community Lunches event in June 2005 at the Soup Kitchen, where Griffin performed every Wednesday at high-noon for over three years. Griffin still plays at the Soup Kitchen as many Wednesdays as he can.
Over the years, Griffin has developed and presented many music education programs---for schools, colleges, halfway houses, juve detention facilities, after-school programs, Intellectures, and City-Rec depts.
In his music and work alike, C.L. Griffin builds his own music the way a person builds a house, a rock wall, a stone walkway, or a friendship---out of the simple materials and tools, as well as the faith, service, and substance, of his life.
...come on and testify. stomp & clap, shout & testify.
Porter tribute to Snooks
