Etta Jones - Houston Person & Dylan Cremer

(1) Etta Jones

Sings Lady Day

High Note HCD 7078

That Ole Devil Called Love/ All of me/ But Beautiful/ You’ve Changed/ I Cried For you/ Fine and Mellow/ God Bless the Child/ Them There Eyes/ You better Go Now.

Jones, vcl; Houston Person, ts; Richard Wyands, p; Peter Bernstein, g; John Webber, b; Chip White, d. New York, NY, June 21, 2001.

(2) Houston Person

Blue Velvet

High Note HCD 7090

Everything I Have Is Yours/ Wonder Why/ Blame It On My Youth/ Too Late Now/ There’s No You/ Be My Love/ I Want To Talk About You/ I Hadn’t Anyone Till You/ Blue Velvet

Person, ts; Richard Wyands, p; Ray Drummond, b; Grady Tate, d. Englewood Cliffs, NJ. July 10, 2001

(3)Dylan Cramer

All Night Long

Nagel Heyer Records CD 073

Caruso/ Estate/ Bumpin’/ Black Orpheus/ All Night long/ Stolen Moments/ Lover Man/ Clouds/ My Funny Valentine/ So What.

Cramer, as; Ron Johnston, p; Steve Holy, b; John Nolan, d. Vancouver, British Columbia. October 7 & 8, 1998.

The release of (1) occurred almost simultaneously with Etta Jones’ passing.  I was obviously conceived as a tribute to Billie Holiday and succeeds as such and also a reminder of the wonderful voice that Ms. Jones had given us for all these years.  The liner notes observe that Jones’ debt to Holiday but asserts she was no imitator, not directly pattern her approach on Holiday’s.  There are times when listening to this that I almost felt that I was hearing Holiday more in the tone of Jones’ voice than her phrasing, but even there one could observe the inspiration of Holiday’s immense legacy.  Included is a nice mix of material from a couple of numbers most associated with Holiday, “God Bless the Child” and “Fine and Mellow,” along with standards such as “All of Me,” and “Then There Eyes.” The supporting band led by her long-time musical collaborator Houston Person is superb here.  Person’s walking tempo tenor solo is a highlight on “All of Me,” while his blues mastery is evident on “Fine and Mellow.” On the opening passages of “You’ve Changed,” he plays with a romantic feeling that evokes Ben Webster.  Both pianist Wyands and guitarist Bernstein are prominent on the performance of the ballad, “But Beautiful,” with Jones’ expressiveness here rivaling that of Holiday.   The singing and playing here is exquisite and with her wonderful final recording, Etta Jones sang as well and as movingly as any point in her life.

(2) is Person’s latest High Note recording with Ray Drummond on bass and Grady Tate on drums joining Person and pianist Wyands for a disc of ballads and mid-tempoed swingers.  Person is marvelous throughout with a warm, full tone and just a touch of vibrato as is the rhythm section whether Wyands lightly comping behind Person or some nice cymbal work or use of brushes from Tate.  Person’s solos here are romantic without employing any devices like excess vibrato, his solos are wonderfully developed, and do not overstay their welcome.   Wyands contributes several nice solos with the one on “Be My Love” being a choice one.  It is followed by a short Drummond solo on bass before Person reenters to lead the song to its conclusion.  The rhythm section plays so well supporting Person that one can almost forget they are there.   While I do not claim an exhaustive familiarity with Person’s recordings, this release is as good as anything I have heard from him recently.

I am unfamiliar with Dylan Cramer, but I take it that (3) is his debut recording. In his notes, Cramer cites his indebtedness to Sonny Criss and L.A. Studio saxophonist Phil Sobel, both of whom he studied with.  Cramer plays cleanly and fluidly on an interesting mix of material.  He sounds as much at home with the almost dirge-like tempo of “Caruso,” as with a bossa nova such as “Estate” or “Clouds.” It's intriguing to hear Oliver Nelson’s “Stolen Moments” played as Cramer’s alto brings a different attack and sound to that Eric Dolphy did four decades ago.  He brings a big, forceful attack to “So What,” at times he comes across as more than one horn. Cramer imparts a nice, bluesy edge to  Wes Montgomery’s “Bumpin’” where pianist Johnston and bassist Holy both take concise solos.  It's a delight to hear such a solid new talent with solid support for a superb debut.

These reviews were written for Cadence Magazine and published in 2002. I received my review copies from Cadence. Here is Etta Jones and Houston Person performing "Fine and Mellow."

Etta Jones Sings Lady Day

Etta Jones

Sings Lady Day

High Note HCD 7078

That Ole Devil Called Love/ All of Me/ But Beautiful/ You’ve Changed/ I Cried For you/ Fine and Mellow/ God Bless the Child/ Them There Eyes/ You Better Go Now.

Jones, vcl; Houston Person, ts; Richard Wyands, p; Peter Bernstein, g; John Webber, b; Chip White, d. New York, NY, June 21, 2001.

 

The release of "Sings Lady Day" occurred almost simultaneously with Etta Jones’ passing. It is obviously a tribute to Billie Holiday and succeeds not simply as such, but also a reminder of just how marvelous Ms. Jones herself was for all these years. The liner notes observe Jones’ stylistic debt to Holiday but asserts she was not an imitator. Still, there are times when listening to this that I almost felt that I was hearing Holiday more in the tone of Jones’ voice than her phrasing. There is short segment in “Fine and Mellow“ where she briefly shows us “Ms Billie Holiday did it a little bit like this” and does a brief vocal impersonation.

There is a nice choice of material ranging from a numbers most identified associated with Holiday, “God Bless the Child” and “Fine and Mellow,” along with standards such as “All of Me,” and “Then There Eyes.” The supporting band led by her long-time musical collaborator Houston Person is superb. Person’s tenor solo is a highlight on “All of Me,” and his solo on “Fine and Mellow,” is a marvelous example of Person’s deep blues roots. Both pianist Wyands and guitarist Bernstein are prominent on the performance of the ballad, “But Beautiful,” with Jones’ expressiveness here rivaling that of Holiday. Everything about this recording is exquisite.

This review was written for Cadence Magazine in early 2002 as part of a review that included the review of Houston Person's "Blue Velvet" that I posted this past Wednesday. Given that this is the centenary of Billie Holiday, this wonderful tribute from some years back should not be overlooked and stands along the wonderful recent Cassandra Wilson and Jose James tributes. It is still in print I believe and available as downloads. I likely received my review copy from Cadence. Here is Etta Jones in performance.

 

Houston Person Blue Velvet

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Houston Person

Blue Velvet

High Note HCD 7090

Everything I Have Is Yours/ Wonder Why/ Blame It On My Youth/ Too Late Now/ There’s No You/ Be My Love/ I Want To Talk About You/ I Hadn’t Anyone Till You/ Blue Velvet

"Blue Velvet" is Person's latest High Note recording with Ray Drummond on bass and Grady Tate on drums joining Person and pianist Wyands for a disc of ballads and mid-tempoed swingers. Person is as marvelous here as on the Etta Jones’ date [this review originally appeared with a review of an Etta Jones recording] as he exhibits that warm, robust tone. The rhythm section also plays at a high level in complementing Person, whether Wyands lightly comping behind Person or  nice cymbal work from Tate. 

Houston Person on The 2015 Jazz Cruise 

Person’s solos are wonderfully developed, melodic, and do overstay there welcome. His playing is romantic without any overuse of vibrato or other devices. Person takes to heart Lester Young’s advice as to knowing the lyrics of the songs performed. “Blame It On My Youth” is typical as he opens having the horn “sing” the lyrics before adding more melodic embellishments. One also appreciates the unhurried and thoughtful character of Person’s playing throughout. Wyands’ own solos echo Person’s lyricism with his solo one on “Be My Love” being exceptional. It is followed by a short Drummond solo on bass, before Person reenters to take the song to its conclusion. This is an exceptional release that along with his playing on the Etta Jones disc shows Person to be among the premiere tenor saxophone stylists today.

This review was written in early 2002 for publication in Cadence, although I split this into two paragraphs.  The Etta Jones disc reviewed to is "Sings Lady Day." I likely received my review copy from Cadence. Photo of Houston Person on The 2015 Jazz Cruise © Ron Weinstock.  Here is Houston Person in live performance.

Freddie Hubbard's First Light Celebrated By CTI Masterworks Reissue

As part of its celebration of the 40th Anniversary of CTI Records, Sony has through the CTI Masterworks imprint reissued Freddie Hubbard’s First Light. First Light was a Grammy Award winning recording, and had Hubbard with a band that included drummer Jack DeJohnette, bassist Ron Carter, guitarist George Benson, pianist (acoustic and electric) Ricard Wyands, percussionist Airto Moreira along with a large orchestral horn and string section that included flautist Hubert Laws.

The title track certain is one of the high points here as it has some sparkling trumpet by the leader as well as some sizzling fretwork from Benson and flute from Laws with the orchestrated setting sweetening the sound to some extent in framing Hubbard’s playing with the music fading at the end. Following is a melodically rooted interpretation of Paul and Linda McCartney’s Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey. The arrangements are uncredited although likely are by Don Sebesky as this performance suggests similar pop-jazz recordings by Wes Montgomery. Guitarist Benson adds some interesting guitar set against Wyands electric piano.

There is a lovely rendition of the Mancini/Mercer standard Moment To Moment, followed by very appealing muted playing on a Don Sebesky/ Norman Martin plaintive ballad Yesterday’s Dreams. The initial release concluded with some atmospheric playing on Lonely Town from the musical On the Town. On this reissue there are a couple of bonus selections that were not on the original recording. Cedar Walton’s Fantasy in D (Polar AC) from the same sessions that produced this album with Hubbard and the rhythm section exhibiting a bit more fervor and rhythmic pulse with Laws taking a flighty solo before Hubbard takes this out soaring with some more fire in his playing.

This particular reissue of First Light concludes with a lengthy live performance of the title track from Detroit in 1973 with Eric Gales on guitar, DeJohnette, Carter and an uncredited electronic keyboard player (Wyands?) on an extended performance that provides a fuller display of Hubbard’s dazzling brilliance and range. Gales takes a solo that exhibits his blues-inflected playing and DeJohnette takes a brief solo before Hubbard leads everyone out.

There is plenty of Freddie Hubbard’s often dazzling trumpet to be heard here, although there are some that may not be fans of the orchestrated settings for his performances.

My review copy was provided by a publicist for this release.

Houston Person Featured on Harold Arlen tribute

I have become a huge fan of Houston Person over the past few years, and he certainly merits acclaim as one of the great tenor saxophonists. A master of blues and ballads, he is showcased on a marvelous tribute to Harold Arlen by guitarist Peter Hand's Big Band. This review written for Jazz & Blues Report but it has not run yet.

Guitarist Peter Hand has years of performing and writing experience and in more recent years put together several larger ensembles including his big band that has a notable roster of players including saxophonists, Kenny Berger, Don Braden, Ralph LaLama, Mike Migliore; Trumpeters and flugelhornists, Cecil Bridgewater, Valery Ponamarev, Jim Rotondi; and pianist Richard Wyands, to name some of the more recognizable names. For a concert to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Birth of Harold Arlen, held at Irvington Town hall Theater on April 22, 2005, he also added Houston Person as featured guest where they ran through some of Arlen’s most beloved compositions such as “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “Ill Wind,” Let’s Fall in Love,” Stormy Weather,” and “Over the rainbow.” The Peter Hand Big Band’s concert was recorded and Savant has released it “The Wizard of Jazz: A Tribute to Harold Arlen.”

Any album featuring Houston Person is going to benefit form his warm, rich tone and the melodic quality of his improvisations and this comes to the fore early with his opening statement in then opening “Come Rain or Come Shine,” with interesting orchestral interjections to spice things up with some nice solos also from Hand and pianist Wyands. On the ballad “Ill Wind,” Person’s romantic playing evokes Ben Webster although his tone is feathery compared to the heavy vibrato Webster employed. Bridgewater has a lovely muted trumpet solo here. Hand in his annotation notes that the rendition of the ballad “This Time’s The Dream’s On Me,” is an uptempo one inspired by the Charlie Parker recording with Valery Ponamarev sparkling on his solo, while Person’s ballad playing once again is at front for “The Man That Got Away,” written for the 1955 film version of “A Star is Born,” and Person’s familiarity with this comes from the many years he played this with the late great Etta Jones. Special kudos here for the marvelous arrangement with Hand and Wyands making some nice contributions in the background. The bossa nova arrangement enlivens “Let’s Fall in Love,” with Don Braden’s snake charming soprano sax solo, and Jim Rotondi adding some blistering trumpet. “Stormy Weather” is among Arlen’s most famous songs and Person is magnificent here on an arrangement built upon that used by Person for his small group performances. One performance is a ringer, being a medley of Person’s “Blue Jug” and Hand’s “Harold Blues,” which is a lengthy blues jam with a number of different soloists (one of the trumpeters quotes “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”), with Person taking his last. The performance closes with an unaccompanied Houston Person performance of “Over the Rainbow.” Having an opportunity to listen to a number of recent Houston Person recordings in the past several years, he has become a favorite who can constantly be counted on for swinging tenor sax deep in the blues and a master of the ballad which is showcased as the special guest of Peter Hand’s marvelous big band for a thoroughly captivating recording.

For FTC purposes I was provided the review copy from Jazz & Blues Report which recived it from the record label.

Nelson's "Screamin' the Blues" Merits Attention

One of my recent downloads from emusic was of the Oliver Nelson, Screamin' the Blues. Originally issued on Prestige's New Jazz imprint in 1963, this 1960 session includes a strong band that included Eric Dolphy, trumpeter Richard Williams, pianist Richard Wyands, bassist George Duvivier and the great Roy Haynes on drums. This is a similar group in composition to that on the classic The Blues and the Abstract Truth, although that session had Paul Chambers on bass, Bill Evans on piano and Freddie Hubbard on trumpet. Five of the six numbers are Nelson originals and this disc perhaps does not quite reach the level of the earlier date but it has many impressive moments. There is the contrast between Dolphy's alto leaps, Williams' muted trumpet and Nelson's full-bodied tenor on the late night blues Three Seconds, while the title track opens with Nelson on alto sounding as so much like Louis Jordan that I was expecting him to start singing, as Dolphy and Williams riff in the background, before Wyands takes a nice solo with a hint of gut bucket, before Nelson takes a more modern solo followed by Williams and then Dolphy on bass clarinet. The Meeting, has a bit of the flavor of Hoe Down, with its country-tinged flavor. March On, March On, is the one tune not composed by Nelson but the performance fits in well in this session. Nelson's strong tenor is exhibited in The Drive. There is plenty for Dolphy fans to savor and the rest of the band is strong. This is a 31/2 to 4 star (out of 5) effort using that arcane rating system.