Houston Person is a very versatile veteran tenor saxophonist who tends to get overlooked in critics' polls, yet his extensive musical resumé is ample proof that he is a jazz master. This 2011 session ranges from a duet to septet, with everyone playing compact solos, keeping all but one under the six-minute mark, a lost art in modern jazz. The rhythm section includes pianist
John Di Martino (who regularly works with the leader), bassist
Ray Drummond, and drummer
Lewis Nash (whose respective resumés are likely as long as
Person's), seven-string guitarist
Howard Alden, plus cornetist
Warren Vaché and trombonist Mark Patterson. Two less familiar jazz works stand out. The disc opens with the full septet playing a snappy rendition of
Shirley Scott's "Blues Everywhere," with
Person,
Vaché, Patterson,
Alden, and
Di Martino all featured.
Elmo Hope's "So Nice" is a perfect example of a midtempo bop gem, with a beautifully understated solo by
Di Martino, Patterson's expressive chops, and the leader's buoyant, soulful tenor. There are several standards, including a richly textured "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" with Patterson's muted horn providing the perfect follow-up to
Person's mellow opening statement, while the lush "Easy Living" suggests a late-night romantic atmosphere. The solo spotlight is equally shared by
Vaché and
Person in the shimmering, deliberate treatment of
Duke Ellington's gorgeous "All Too Soon." Ironically, the longest track is a sensitive duet by
Person and
Di Martino, exploring a pair of
Stephen Sondheim's show tunes, "Small World" and "Anyone Can Whistle." Highly recommended. ~ Ken Dryden