Houston Person - Naturally (2012)

Active on the scene for decades, 78-year-old tenor saxophonist Houston Person still seems to be a discovery for some. Both newcomers to his music and longtime fans will no doubt enjoy this latest recording featuring a formidable group: veteran pianist Cedar Walton (with whom Person first collaborated in the 1960s), bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Lewis Nash. Person showcases his warm, enveloping tone and big sound, steeped in bop, blues and the Great American Songbook, on a set of beloved tunes, some still relatively unexplored. Opening is Milt Jackson’s “Bags’ Groove,” where Walton takes the first solo, laidback yet abounding with spirit and sentiment; Person stretches out in luxurious fashion while Drummond and Nash contribute their own groove-enhancing statements. One of three ballads in the program, “My Foolish Heart” illustrates Person’s fundamental approach to his horn, eloquently expressing heartfelt emotion in much the same way a vocalist might. Nash’s swinging brushwork shines on the sumptuous “That’s All” and “How Little We Know,” and Walton shimmers on “Red Sails in the Sunset.” The Ellington/Hodges gem “It Shouldn’t Happen to a Dream,” largely unrecorded since the 1950s, is revived in grand style, with poignant solos by Person and Walton, as Nash and Brown sustain taut yet fluid movement. Recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studio, this throwback album is nonetheless fresh and imaginative. Aptly titled, it’s a relaxed, compelling set on which Person and his bandmates demonstrate unaffected dexterity, swing and soul. ~ Sharonne Cohen, JazzTimes. 

HighNote Records, HCD 7245, 2012
Recorded 5th July, 2012 At Van Gelder Recording Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 

Musicians:
Houston Person - Tenor Saxophone
Cedar Walton - Piano
Ray Drummond - Bass
Lewis Nash - Drums 

Tracks:
1. Bag's Groove {Milt Jackson} (7:09)
2. That's All {Bob Haymes} (5:52)
3. [How Little It Matters] How Little We Know {Phil Springer, Carolyn Leigh} (4:30)
4. Namely You {Gene DePaul, Johnny Mercer} (6:53)
5. My Foolish Heart {Victor Young, Ned Washington} (6:34)
6. Red Sails In The Sunset {Wilhelm Grosz, Jimmy Kennedy} (4:25)
7. Don' Cha Go 'Way Mad {Illinois Jacquet, Jimmy Mundy, Al Stillman} (5:38)
8. It Shouldn't Happen To A Dream {Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges, Don George} (5:54)
9. Sunday {Jule Styne, Chester Conn, Bennie Krueger, Ned Miller} (5:24) 

Total Time: 52:18

Credits:
Producer - Houston Person
Executive Producer - Joe Fields
Engineer, Mixing, Mastering - Rudy van Gelder
Assistant Engineer - Maureen Sickler
Photography - Alan Nahigian
Design - Brad Wrolstad
Liner Notes - David Jaye