The Griffith Hiltz Trio

www.johnnygriffith.com/griffithhiltz

Before they were known as The Griffith Hiltz Trio, Johnny Griffith and Nathan Hiltz were longtime friends and occasional collaborators.  They would get together for a weekly jam session to play some tunes and talk about the artists they loved including Horace Silver, Lee Morgan and Herbie Hancock.  While experimenting with some bass pedals and organs, Griffith and Hiltz discovered an amazing sound and decided to form a band.  The result is the Griffith Hiltz Trio.  With Griffith on saxophones and bass clarinet and Hiltz on guitar and bass pedals, the trio is completed by Sly Juhas on drums.  They incorporate not only the influence of 1960s Blue Note legends but also include Celtic, Norse and Eastern motifs.  In early 2008, the trio recorded their debut album entitled Now and Then; produced by Canadian jazz great Don Thompson, the album has been described as “one of the most compelling and original Canadian jazz albums in recent history.”