Houston Person: Nice 'n' Easy

Houston Person

Nice 'n' Easy

"As full-bodied and comforting as home-baked apple pieâ" is one apt description of Houston Person's saxophone sound. It has also been compared to “mom's meat loaf.” Inasmuch as these similes attempt to convey the comforting, warmhearted and effortlessly accomplished nature of the South Carolina-born tenorman's art, they are spot-on, but it must be remembered that Person's roots are in organ-centered R&B. This brings a bluesy integrity resulting from his immersion in music forever connected with Gene Ammons and Stanley Turrentine, to which Person has added a burnished sophistication, an assured elegance and poise that have rendered his recent HighNote discography an object lesson in unfussy, no-gimmicks music-making. In addition to a velvety, intimate ballad technique (explained by his close attention to the meaning of his songs' lyrics), Person also possesses an ability to imbue up-tempo material with an irresistible wailing intensity, so his crowd-pleasing bluesy numbers (where Person gets the chance to show off his considerable chops) provide welcome variety to this judiciously balanced set.

Price: $24.98