Cashbox : 12/08/1979

Here is a straight-ahead session by this much overlooked tenor saxophonist. The tunes are familiar: This Love of Mine, Gee, Baby Ain’t I Good To You, Memories of You, and three more. Person‘s attack is big and fully rounded, making the tunes sound as fresh as if they were written just before he went into the studio. Favorite track is the opening Bluesology.

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Ottawa Citizen
Lois Moody : 02/01/1980

Tenor saxman Houston Person tries hard to maintain the big-sound tradition but honks and squeaks get in the way. The album is a total, mainstream blowing session. The only surprise is a disco version of Porter‘s I Concentrate On You.

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Down Beat : January, 1980
Lars Gabel : 4 stars
A double review, with Arnett Cobb’s Live at Sandy’s!

Old and contemporary southern tenor sax sounds are pitted against each other on these two Muse releases. On one, Arnett Cobb, a founder of the style which applies gospel and (rhythm &) blues techniques to a basic Ben Webster model, offers authentic glimpses in mildly tempoed songs of what was once a formidable weapon, while on the other, Houston Person, basing his version of the sound on its “modernizer” David Newman, is heard to unusually great advantage in the midst of an inspired, absolutely marvelous rhythm group.

Despite its credited co-leadership, Live at Sandy’s! is rather an Arnett Cobb album than a jam session: only on Broadway are Buddy Tate and Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson heard. Perhaps the two other releases planned from this engagement will focus more on Cobb’s fellow saxophonists? Meanwhile, Arnett celebrated growls, howls, grunts, wails and drawls. Not a mere inventory, though, of parts of a style, Arnett Cobb’s performance – apart from its obvious accomplishments and enjoyability – again serves to remind us that his tenor style, long relegated by many critics to a marginal position in jazz, represents a valid and central sound, upon which many modern tenor players have drawn.

Cobb’s cadences, for example, in Blue and Sentimental point directly to those of Sonny Rollins, and Cobb’s drawling fervency, much in evidence here, has been a source of inspiration for hyperbolic romanticists such as Shepp, Ayler and most recently, David Murray.

The rhythm section has been carefully selected on grounds of empathy and is as supportive as could be expected, with Ray Bryant as its most effective soloist. One does not tamper with a musical monument such as Arnett Cobb; the value of Live at Sandy’s! lies for the listener in realizing how authentic the sound is and how authoritatively Cobb continues to honor it.

The decisive difference between the Cobb and the Person records is not one of age or taste but one of disposition: Cobb is featured in a wholly familiar landscape while Person is cast challengingly with a relatively advanced rhythm group.

Person, who unites a Newmanesque tone with improvising skills rare among his breed of tenorists, is also a no-nonsense player with an approach that can be forthright to the point of hurriedness. The Big Horn is both an illustration of and an amendment to this: while Person’s solos are executed at their customary clip, their latent perfunctoriness, normally provoked by Person’s regular timekeeping accompanists, is held at bay by Cedar Walton‘s expansive and buoyantly singing improvisations; and the match of two temperaments, one terse and direct, the other joyful and inviting, is most complimentary.

Even more of a coup by producing Michael Cuscuna is perhaps the presence of Buster Williams. Smitten with the same chemistry that ignites Walton and Person, Williams plays with drive and a vertiginous abandon that, although traditionally too advance for a mainstream musician such as Person, is at once fully compatible and dimension expanding.

Accepting a discreetly functional role behind Walton and Williams, Grady Tate and Buddy Caldwell perform smoothly and self-effacingly throughout.

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Liner Notes by Tom Reed

This album is titled The Big Horn and that is no understatement. The horn player and his music speaks for itself. In reality The Big Horn is tenorist, Houston Person, who within the last seven years has presented a rather deep and penetrating statement among present jazz tenor saxophonists.

In listening to Person, you hear traces of Gene Ammons, John Coltrane, and Stanley Turrentine. The latter knows very definitely that Houston Person is very real – and indeed has a “super” horn. His playing is a mixture of “earthy” and “straight ahead” blowin’. This product, The Big Horn, exemplifies that.

Musically, this disc is totally composed of standards – but given a unique jazz and/or a blues structured treatment that become musical excursions for the excellent and gifted sidemen on this date.

On Bluesology Person’s stirring tenor solo ignites this uptempo Milt Jackson blues into a warmness that exploits the melodic comping of Art Blakey‘s former legendary pianist, Cedar Walton, whose delicate fingering just literally takes off.

The popular standard This Love Of Mine combines free flowing instrumentation showcasing Houston Person and Cedar Walton.

Don Redman‘s classic Gee, Baby Ain’t I Good To You is a much heralded and recorded jazz blues that presents some powerful strokes from Herbie Hancock‘s former bassist, Buster Williams. (Who spent many a session with Dexter Gordon, Ron Carter, etc.) It’s a good infectious blues.

Houston Person’s soft and flowing tenor riffs on The More I See You backed by Walton’s and Williams’ solos stay spirited and warm as the other members of the rhythm section contribute harmoniously, Grady Tate on drums and the impressive contemporary time keeping of Buddy Caldwell on congas keep the basics in perspective.

Black music innovators, Eubie Blake, who at 96, has written more than 1600 published songs, and whose Broadway show “Eubie” is a current smash, and the late Andy Razaf are responsible for Memories of You as it provides a mellow and tender commentary for Houston Person’s superb tenor solo backed into the keyboard of Walton. The rest is pure pleasure.

With proper and remarkable arranging, I Concentrate On You is a musical arena of employment as solo performances by each sideman verify a dominance that only this Cole Porter classic can convey. It’s the longest track on the album and the texture is beautiful.

This album definitely will not be given the “frisbee” treatment. No Electricity, No Superficial strings and No Over-Produced Gimmicks – just good and important jazz. Simplicity is the byword here.

Produced by one of jazz’ younger and creative professionals, Michael Cuscuna, who is totally aware of Big Horns having produced repackages of the late John Coltrane among other outstanding albums, has put together a collection of jazz classics, some highly rated musicians and has captured some unforgettable moments that can be heard only on The Big Horn.

This album will get my vote as one of the Best Jazz Releases in 1979 when it comes time for my 1980 Grammy vote.