My name is Anders Griffen
(pronounced: “On - durz” ; he, him, his)  

I’m a musician from a family of musicians (*see below). 

In my lifetime, I've had the opportunity to meet and sometimes play with all kinds of musicians. These interviews are part of that exploration. 

Learn more about me and my music at: 

andersgriffen.com 

In 2011, I started to occasionally contribute articles to The New York City Jazz Record, mostly based on original interviews. In the spring of 2020, while the U.S. was under lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, I received a phone call from my mentor, master drummer Michael Carvin, to check on the well-being of me and my family. Soon after that conversation, the world began protesting the murder of George Floyd and others, and I wrote Mr. Carvin to ask for another phone call. Although I did not state my purpose, he seemed to intuit what it was about and proceeded to give me his take on the situation and, in part, compared and contrasted it to the 60s and 70s. That conversation and one with trombonist Dick Griffin made me wish I’d recorded them so I could continue learning from their insights – it was more than I could digest in one sitting, as I found their words deep, eye-opening and inspiring. So, with that inspiration, I started independently recording conversations with artists, mostly jazz musicians that remember the 60s and 70s.  While generally promoting these artists and their work, I hope others will benefit from their perspectives as I have. 

I have collected over 30 interviews so far and I would like to publish a book. This work is ongoing. As I transcribe these conversations I will make some of them available here on this site, perhaps to coincide with events or anniversaries of the artists related to the content. 

Articles for The New York City Jazz Record can be found online at their site and at: andersgriffen.com/writings 

I studied with Michael Carvin at the Michael Carvin School of Drumming, and with Ron Carter, Kenny Burrell, Joe Shepley, Jon Faddis, Dary John Mizelle, and informally with Charles Moffett, Alvin Fielder, Warren Smith, Grady Tate, and Richie Dean Pratt.  I earned a BFA in Music Composition from SUNY-Purchase College and a Masters in Library and Information Science from UCLA. 

*  Both of my parents were professional musicians in New York during the heyday of the music industry. 

   My mother, Karen Anderson Griffen, was the first woman in the wind section at The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra when she won the principal piccolo chair in 1974. She also recorded with Benny Golson, Wyclef Jean, George Michael, Rod Stewart, and Harry Connick Jr., and did numerous jingles, albums, and movie soundtracks like Dressed To Kill, The Jagged Edge, and 8 Mile. 

   My father, Fred Griffen, was a freelance French horn player who performed for decades with The New York Philharmonic, and also performed and/or recorded with a range of artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, McCoy Tyner, James Brown, Jaco Pastorious, David Matthews and the Manhattan Jazz Orchestra, Billy Joel, and Sinead O'Connor (he was on Saturday Night Live with her the night she tore up the photo of the Pope). He's also done soundtracks with Terence Blanchard including Malcolm X and Mo' Better Blues. 

   Both of my parents were on different albums with David Byrne and Paul Simon, toured together with Luther Vandross, and just did hundreds of jingles, albums, and movies.