~Continued from Part 1~
There was also another story behind Della Griffin’s longevity at the Blue Book club. For some reason her integrity was tested when a sizeable sum of cash was left in the women’s bathroom that she used before and/or after performances. She did not take it. Afterwards, having earned the highest level of trust, she was welcome to stay as long as she wanted, which turned out to be more than a decade. Ultimately with mutual feelings of respect and love, the Blue Book became one of Della’s all-time favorite venues.
Following the dissolution of her second marriage, Della Griffin, married unsuccessfully one last time (Jimmy Walker whose name she refused to take feeling that it was not worth the time) and resumed her career, which lasted into the 21st century.
After opening at Harlem’s Blue Book club in 1973, Della Griffin performed there for the next 14 years, until 1987 when she was seriously injured after being hit by a car in Mt. Vernon, NY. In addition, starting in the 1980s, Della resumed working with Etta Jones and joined with Irene Reid. Their efforts led to two albums – “I’ll Get By” and “Travlin’ Light,” both produced by Houston Person (b.1934) and Muse Records. When Muse Records folded, Della Griffin “followed many of” its performers “to [the] newly-formed HighNote-Savant” label where Person produced “The Very Thought of You” which came out in 1998. Shortly afterwards, due to her high level of achievement, Della “Griffin was invited to Finland to appear at one of that country’s major jazz festivals.”[1]
Following her recovery, Della Griffin along with Frances Kelly and Shirley “Bunny” Foy appeared on “Dan Romanello’s Rhythm & Blues Group Harmony Review” on Fordham University’s WFUV-FM show in New York in 1994 after being “rediscovered by group harmony enthusiast Louie Silvani.”[2] After taking inquiries about the Enchanters and Dell-Tones, Della Griffin put another “Dell-Tones” group together, consisting of Frances Kelly, Annette St. John and Gwen Michael, the latter two new members. They then made numerous appearances including at “The Heroines of R&B” concert in October 1995, which also included the famed Chantels, The Jewels and Vikki Burgess, who just missed being selected to replace Sherry Gary of the Dell-Tones forty years earlier, among others.
In addition to her performances for the new Dell-Tones and recording acts for Muse Records and HighNote-Savant, Della Griffin took part in many solo acts in clubs across the tri-state region during the 1990s. Some of these performances include:
Della Griffin and “her All-Stars” in Croton Falls and Yonkers, NY in May and June 1992, respectively; a solo performance at Blue Note Jazz Club and Restaurant at 131 West 3rd Street in New York City in April 1991, solo New Year’s Eve performances at DeFemio’s Restaurant in Yonkers, NY in December 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1997, a December 1994 performance “A Very Merry Holiday Jazz Party” with Etta Jones and Houston Person at the Schoolhouse in Croton Falls, a show titled “Standards & Blues by Della Griffin” in Scarsdale, NY in June 1998, and a performance at the White Plains Public Library in White Plains, NY in March 1999, among others. She was also a frequent performer at Scottie’s club in Yonkers, NY, a member of the Jimmy Hill Quartet (with jazz musicians Jimmy Hill (1928-2004), Joe Puma (1927-2000), and Etta Jones) that “frequented jazz haunts through the [New York metro] region,”[3] a member of Fred Smith’s “Harlem Renaissance Swing Band (performing at Hartford, CT’s Bushnell Park in July 1999), and a drummer for The Melba Joyce Group in a 1998 Nicki Mathis “The Many Colors of a Woman”[4] concert also in Hartford, CT, as well as a participant in benefit concerts for musicians in need. She also performed in Hartford CT’s Bushnell Park in July 1995 and 1996 as “one of the most valuable showstoppers…” singing “‘Tain’t Nobody’s Business” and “All of Me,”[5] and at Rich Forum in Stamford, CT in February 1998. During the July 1995 concert, it was written, “Singer Della Griffin, decked out in shades, a hot pink sweat suit and matching hat, almost stole the show when she scurried to the front of the stage and began singing ‘All of Me’ in a wonderfully grainy, lived-in kind of voice…”[6]
Della Griffin continued her music career into the 21st century making appearances in New York City, Westchester County, and Newark, NJ, one of which included a 3 hour-long performance at the Renaissance Jazz Café on 195 Mulberry Street in May 2003, among others.
Even though Della Griffin never had children of her own and had a demanding career, she found time to be a philanthropist. Despite her fame and 50+-year career, she took in more than 40 foster children, raising many from infancy. As a result she was known as “Aunt Della” and described as having a voice ‘gorgeous enough to evoke Billie Holiday, (a jazz legend and close friend) and [a] heart big enough to take in more than a dozen foster children.”[7]
When her Mt. Vernon, NY house suffered severe fire damage from a pre-Christmas 2004 fire that had been started by a 6-year-older foster child who accidentally knocked over a candle, a benefit concert featuring Irene Reid and Houston Person, among others, was held by the Jazz Foundation to cover the ,000 rebuilding costs. Della and some of her foster children ultimately returned to the rebuilt house just before the summer of 2005.
During her remarkable pioneering career, Della Griffin has performed in venues all around the world, including some of the most famous jazz clubs. She had also created two female groups – the Enchanters and the Dell-Tones, sang for William “Count” Basie’s band as well as the Modells, and shared the stage with many legends – “a who’s who of jazz and blues singers, including Etta Jones”[8] and Gloria Coleman, a Soul singer, among others.
Having been a “singer you can count on for moving performances…” with a “voice [that] fills the songs she sings, weaving their way into your heart…”[9] in the class of Billie Holiday (for a while Holiday’s husband stopped by every week after Billie’s passing to hear Griffin’s rendition of “Some Other Spring” because she reminded him of his deceased wife) and Etta Jones, Della Griffin is a jazz legend in her own right, mentioned in the Encyclopedia of Jazz for having taken “a daring step forward [when the Enchanters and Dell-Tones], pioneering female ensembles of vocal group music… decided to compete on a circuit usually reserved for men.” When others chose to marry and tend to families and despite the adversities and setbacks she faced, Della Griffin’s heart remained with music. In her words, “Music brings me great joy. It always makes me smile.”[10]
Aside from music, Della Griffin also had other passions. She loved sewing and crochet since she was a child and she enjoyed dining at Sizzler’s restaurant (now defunct) at Cross County Center in Yonkers, NY and supermarket shopping, especially for different kinds of foods, soda, and candy. At the same time her favorite colors are purple and black, the latter, which she adopted during her later years.
At the same time, despite her success and fame, as well as the difficult trials she faced, Della Griffin’s faith has remained strong. As a result she serves as an inspirational Christian role-model – clothing, feeding, sheltering, and caring for children in need, demonstrated through the years by all the foster children she cared for and loved as if they were her own blood. Accordingly because of Della’s love for God, one of her favorite pastimes when she was able and fit to, was taking her foster children on frequent visits to Lourdes of America at St. Lucy’s Church in the Bronx, NY to enrich the family’s spirituality and receive blessings from the grotto’s holy water “which is said to have miraculous healing powers.”[11]
A tribute to honor Della Griffin and her contributions to R&B and jazz was recently held by the Eleanor Scott Center at the Creole club in New York City on June 21, 2006 in recognition of the lasting and indelible imprint she has left on the jazz world. This came five years after a “Summer Breeze” concert on the steps of Mt. Vernon, NY City Hall in which Della Griffin was awarded a plaque by the City’s mayor, Ernest Davis in “recognition and gratitude” of her 30+ years of contributions to music and Mt. Vernon. Afterwards she (with a big smile) and Etta Jones performed a duet, singing “East of the sun and west of the moon, we’re going to build a dream house of love” followed by “a standing ovation, even from their fellow musicians.”[12] Ironically it was one of Etta Jones’ last performances before she succumbed to cancer less than three months later.
Furthermore in recognition of Della Griffin’s achievements, the Newark (NJ) Star-Ledger wrote when discussing an upcoming jazz concert in Ivy Hill, NJ, in which Dave Braham and his jazz group, the Latin Jazz Quartet was the key attraction – “Actually, Braham is a master organist, having backed singers like Irene Reid, Arthur Prysock (b. 1929) and Della Griffin.” [13] At the same time, the Fairfield (CT) Citizen News wrote when talking about Antoinette Montague, a local singer who sang jazz and R&B for a while and who was celebrating the life of jazz great Louis Armstrong in a play – “She has been focusing on pursuing her craft, aiming for excellence, by meeting long-time performers such as Etta Jones and Della Griffin… and making contacts with musicians.”[14] In addition, the Hartford (CT) Courant when writing about Fred Smith, a traveling “workaholic” jazz trumpeter stated, “Aside from Smith's swing savvy, his band's key assets are saxophonist David ‘Bubba’ Smith, a fat-toned tenor saxophonist, and Della Griffin, a vocalist… Petite and grandmotherly looking, Griffin is graced with an evocative, soul-wrenching voice that can all but channel the long departed spirit of Billie Holiday. Her grainy, lived-in sound is delightful. Especially when she plunges into a Holiday signature song like ‘Fine and Mellow,’ with its wry, melancholic lyrics…”[15] and “The guitarist also has played on other forthcoming albums led by McDuff, Hampton, Della Griffin and Larry O'Neill”[16] when discussing Randy Johnston, a jazz and blues artist.
Today Della Griffin resides in New Rochelle, NY. She is still loved as much as ever and visited daily by one foster child or another. Most importantly her voice still sings lifting and enriching lives.
Discography:
§Today is Your Birthday/How Could You. January 1952. The Enchanters. Jubilee Records. (5072)
§I’ve Lost/Housewife Blues. April 1952. The Enchanters. Jubilee Records. (5080)
§Yours Alone/My Heart’s On Fire. July 1953. The Dell-Tones. Brunswick Records. (84015)
§I’m Not In Love With You/Little Short Daddy. April 1954. The Dell-Tones. Rainbow Records. (244)
§Baby Say You Love Me/Don’t Be Too Long. July 1955. The Dell-Tones. Baton Records. (212)
§My Special Love/Believe It. March 1956. The Dell-Tones. Baton Records. (223)
§Voices Of Love/I’m So Lonely. June 1957. The Kings And Queens (combined Dell-Tones and Orioles). Everlast Records. (5003)
§Duke Ellington Collection, 1927-1988, #301
§Subseries 3F: Other Music Company Records, 1938-1965 (boxes 106-111) Box 107. Expense Records. The Enchanters 1956-1958.
§Della Griffin Sings. (Vinyl LP featuring I’ll Be Seeing You, Lover Man, Don’t Explain, Standing There, But Beautiful, You’ve Changed, Travelin’ Light, and Gloomy Sunday) Della Griffin. Dobre Records. (1009)
§Travelin’ Light. (CD featuring Smile, Travelin’ Light, Out of Nowhere, Some Other Spring, The Second Time Around, Easy Living, Trouble In Mind, Trust In Me, Blue Gardenia). June 1992. Della Griffin. Muse Records. (5496)
§I’ll Get By. (CD featuring If You Were The Only Boy In The World, But Beautiful, I’m Getting’ Sentimental Over You, Fools Rush In, You and Me Against The World, I’ll Get By (As Long As I Have You), Two Different Worlds, and East of the Sun). July 1996. Della Griffin. Muse Records (B000008REL).
§The Very Thought of You. (CD featuring My Melancholy Baby, The Very Thought of You, All of Me, Misty, This Bitter Earth, Yesterdays, It Could Happen To You, You Go To My Head, and Sunday). September 1998. Della Griffin. Savant Records. (1180011)
Unreleased:
§You Know I’m Not In Love With You. Recorded November 1951. The Enchanters. Jubilee Records.
§Boogie Woogie Daddy. The Enchanters. Jubilee Records.
§Why Make A Fool Out Of Me. The Dell-Tones. Brunswick Records.
§After All I’ve Been To You. The Dell-Tones. Brunswick Records.
Also Appears On:
§Darling Please Save Your Love For Me. March 1994. Dakota Staton. Muse Records. (5462). Featured on tracks 2 and 7 – “You’ve Changed,” and “East of the Sun.”
§Jazz Ballads With a Blue Feeling. February 2003. HighNote. (B00008AY5I). Featured on track 7 – “This Bitter Earth.”
§Jazz for a Christmas Present. July 2003. Savoy Jazz. (B0000AGWKQ). Featured on Vol. 2 track 2 – “Jingle Bells.”
§Jazz in an R&B Groove. March 2004. HighNote. (B0001I2C7A). Featured on track 6 – “This Bitter Earth.”
§Jazz That’s Soulfully Blue. February 2005. HighNote. (B0007N19J6). Featured on track 9 – “Sunday.”
§Jazz for the Wee Small Hours. April 2006. HighNote. (B000F1HGAG). Featured on track 6 – “You Go To My Head.”
______________
[1] Della Griffin. Musicmatch®, Inc. 2004. 3 August 2006. [http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com/artist.cgi?ARTISTID=886881&TMPL=LONG]
[2] John Clemente. Girl Groups. (Krause Publications. Iola, WI., USA. 2000) 89.
[3] Joseph Ax. Jimmy Hill dies at 76; was well-known jazz musician. The Journal News. Gannett Co., Inc. 15 June 2004. 3B.
[4] Owen McNally. Local Jazz Artist Keeps Celebrating Many Talents of Women. The Hartford Courant. 3 September 1998. 8.
[5] Owen McNally. Harlem Legends Put Life In Park. The Hartford Courant. 23 July 1996. A4.
[6] Owen McNally. Veterans Revive Harlem Jazz And Blues. The Hartford Courant. 11 July 1995. A4.
[7] A Benefit for Della Griffin. all about Jazz.com. 14 January 2005. 3 August 2006. http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news_print.php?id=5026
[8] A Benefit for Della Griffin. all about Jazz.com. 14 January 2005. 3 August 2006. http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news_print.php?id=5026
[9] Ismael Rangel. Della Griffin. 3 August 2006. [http://www.ddg.com/LIS/InfoDesignF96/Ismael/jazz/1980/Griffith.html]
[10] A Benefit for Della Griffin. all about Jazz.com. 14 January 2005. 3 August 2006. http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news_print.php?id=5026
[11] Historic Attractions: Lourdes of America. i love the bronx.com. 14 August 2006. [http://www.ilovethebronx.com/thingstodo.cfm?prmCategoryIDs=17]
[12] Greg Clary. Jazz lovers enjoy the Summer Breeze. The Journal News. Gannett Co., Inc. 24 July 2001. 3K.
[13] Barbara Kukla. Feast of music and food comes to Ivy Hill – Jazz musician is star attraction. Star-Ledger, The (Newark, NJ). 5 August 1999. 1.
[14] Local Singer Celebrates the Life of Louis Armstrong in Musical Play. Fairfield Citizen News. 17 June 2005. Living section.
[15] Owen McNally. Traveling Trumpeter Brings Harlem Jazz to Bushnell Park. The Hartford Courant. 14 July 2000. D3.
[16] Owen McNally. Randy Johnston brings jazz-blues mix to 880 with DePalma trio. The Hartford Courant. 28 May 1992. 5.
Additional Sources:
Newark This Week: Coming Events. Star-Ledger, The (Newark, NJ). 15 May 2003. 2.
Della Griffin – Lead singer of the Dell-Tones 1955-56. liveDaily. 3 August 2006. http://www.livedaily.com/artists/bio/195412.html
Tribute for Della Griffin. all about Jazz.com. 2006. 3 August 2006. http://forums.allaboutjazz.com/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=37&day=2006-6-21&c=1
W5: This Week – Who What When Where Why. The Hartford Courant. 4 July 1999. G1.
Note: Article with photos, including exclusives, can be found at my website at: http://aaliyahremembered2.homestead.com/files/Della_Griffin_Biography.pdf
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