At over 75 years old, with nearly 55 years in the business, Johnny Griffin is a jazz legend. It's always an honor for Jazz in Marciac to welcome such a living memory of the birth of modern jazz. This saxophonist, small in stature but immensely talented (hence his nickname "Little Giant"), enjoyed his greatest successes in the 1950s and 60s playing with artists like Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, T-Bone Walker, John Coltrane, and Thelonious Monk. Tonight, he leads a quartet with which he regularly performs in Europe.

The partners in this top-notch ensemble are none other than Hervé Sellin on piano, Riccardo Del Fra on double bass, and Jean-Pierre Arnaud on drums. These illustrious musicians have invited two Jazz in Marciac favorites: Emile Parisien and Olivier Témime on saxophones, for a stimulating encounter, a true clash of generations. Emile Parisien is a former student of the Marciac school; he was one of the first to participate in the introductory jazz workshops established by Jean-Louis Guilhaumon in 1993. We remember seeing him, as a very young student, playing "Les Feuilles Mortes" on the stage of the Palais des Festivals for the opening of the Cannes Film Festival alongside Sabine Azéma. Now, he is embarking on a career as a professional musician.