Although he doesn’t attract much critical attention, Houston Person must have a large and loyal following, judging by the number of albums he’s made over the years. They’re a discriminating crowd, too, if this latest example is anything to go by. Ballads, blues, R&B classics – gently but unerringly his soulful tenor saxophone brings out their beauty, enhancing a melody with a few deft strokes. He can pick a good band, too, including in this case pianist Lafayette Harris, guitarist Rodney Jones and cornettist Warren Vaché. Their sparky new treatment of Learnin’ the Blues is a particular delight, livening up that doleful old weepy.
