Why am I a sucker for the warm and breathy tone of tenorist Houston Person? I grew up in the era of Weather Report and Michael Brecker, but once I was brought into the world of guys like Ben Webster, Arnett Cobb, Illinois Jacquet, Stan Getz, Gene Ammons and Ike Quebec, there was no going back. Sure, guys play faster and with more tricky harmonies. SO WHAT?!?
Nice ‘N Easy is the perfect suit for this album with John DiMartino/p, Chuck Redd/vib, Ray Drummond/b and Lewis Nash/dr. Some of the tunes get a bit clever, such as the latin lover drive on “Let’s Fall In Love,” but for the most part, Person lets his San Francisco fog of a tone roll into the bay on “Ill Wind” and a wondrously “It’s All In The Game.” Redd’s vibes are a perfect complement as he bounces around the thick long notes on “If It’s The Last Thing I Do” and “All My Tomorrows.” This is one of those sessions you’ll just keep going back to, but then again, what Person album can you NOT say that about?
High Note Records