Houston Person


Houston Person is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. Although he has performed in the hard bop and swing genres, he is most experienced in and best known for his work in soul jazz. He received the Eubie Blake Jazz Award in 1982.

Biography

Person grew up in Florence, South Carolina, and first played piano before switching to tenor saxophone. He studied at South Carolina State College where he was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 1999.
In the United States Air Force, he joined a service band stationed in West Germany, and played with Don Ellis, Eddie Harris, Cedar Walton, and Leo Wright. He later continued his studies at Hartt College of Music in Hartford, Connecticut.
He first became known for a series of albums for Prestige in the 1960s. Contrary to popular belief, he was never married to the vocalist Etta Jones, but did spend many years as her musical partner, recording, performing and touring, and for much of his career this association was what he was best known for. They first met playing in organist Johnny Hammond's band.
There are more than 75 albums recorded by Houston Person as a bandleader, on Prestige, Westbound, Mercury, Savoy, and Muse, and he has most recently been recording on HighNote. He has recorded with Charles Brown, Ron Carter, Bill Charlap, Charles Earland, Lena Horne, Etta Jones, Lou Rawls, Janis Siegel, Horace Silver, Dakota Staton, Cedar Walton, plus Billy Butler, Don Patterson, Grant Green, Sonny Phillips, Johnny "Hammond" Smith, Richard "Groove" Holmes and others.
Person has been a resident of Newark, New Jersey.
in 2009.

Discography

As leader

With The 3B's
With Gene Ammons
With Charles Brown
With Paul Brown
With Billy Butler
With Ron Carter
With Joey DeFrancesco
With Charles Earland
With Grant Green
With Tiny Grimes
With Peter Hand Big Band
With Richard "Groove" Holmes
With Randy Johnston
With Etta Jones
With Charles Kynard
  • Afro-Disiac
With Johnny Lytle
  • Fast Hands
  • Good Vibes
  • Moonchild
With Don Patterson
  • Four Dimensions
  • Oh Happy Day
  • Tune Up!
With Sonny Phillips
  • Sure 'Nuff
With Jimmy Ponder
  • Come On Down
With Bernard Purdie
  • Shaft
With Shirley Scott
  • Oasis
With Janis Siegel
With Horace Silver
With Johnny "Hammond" Smith
With Melvin Sparks
With Warren Vaché