Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Houston Person: Reminiscing at Rudy's

Houston Person: Reminiscing at Rudy's

By Jack Bowers
November 29, 2022
View read count

The "Rudy's" in the title of tenor saxophonist

Houston Person

saxophone, tenor
b.1934

" data-original-title="" title="">Houston Person's album, Reminiscing at Rudy's, is not a nightclub or other such venue but the New Jersey studio of celebrated recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder who died in 2016. As befits reminiscing, the bulk of the album's numbers are tender ballads, every one of which lands squarely in Person's amorous wheelhouse.

That is not to say the veteran tenor saxophone maestro—who has recorded almost seventy albums as leader of his own groups- -is not comfortable or creative at other tempos, as he shows, for example, on Cole Porter's medium-paced "At Long Last Love,"

Henry Mancini

composer / conductor
1924 - 1994

" data-original-title="" title="">Henry Mancini's usually placid "Moon River" (presented here as a danceable foxtrot) and his own well-grooved finale, "Reminiscing at Rudy's." The truth is, Person is relaxed and confident in any milieu; he simply has a fondness for sensuous and warm-hearted love songs, and summons forth the utmost warmth and affection each of them has to offer.

As usual, Person is supported by a blue-chip rhythm section whose members are guitarist

Russell Malone

guitar
1963 - 2024

" data-original-title="" title="">Russell Malone, pianist

Larry Fuller

piano
b.1965

" data-original-title="" title="">Larry Fuller, bassist

Matthew Parrish

bass
b.1969

" data-original-title="" title="">Matthew Parrish and drummer par excellence

Lewis Nash

drums
b.1958

" data-original-title="" title="">Lewis Nash who even sings— possibly a first for him, at least on record—on Marvin Fisher's "Nothing Ever Changes My Love for You," which was written for another pretty fair vocalist,

Nat King Cole

piano and vocals
1919 - 1965

" data-original-title="" title="">Nat King Cole. While he is clearly no Cole—nor would he claim to be—Nash's smooth, even-tempered baritone is surprisingly good. He may have hit upon an unforeseen side gig.

Even though he is the session's unequivocal guiding light, Person gives everyone a chance to shine, and there are perceptive solos along the way by Fuller, Parrish and Malone, whose easygoing designs mirror Person's and enhance the group's fraternal mood. The most welcome ballad in these quarters is Lionel Newman's too-seldom-heard "Again," an exquisite melody first sung by Ida Lupino in the 1948 film noir, Roadhouse. The others include Paul Anka's "Put Your Head on My Shoulder," Herbert Martin's "Why Did I Choose You," Rodgers and Hart's "My Romance,"

Cedar Walton

piano
1934 - 2013

" data-original-title="" title="">Cedar Walton's "I'll Let You Know" and Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Me Someone to Love."

Person, now nearing his eighty-eighth year, shows no sign of slowing down, playing with the awareness and unerring mastery of someone many years his junior. To put it another way, he is simply quite good at what he does, and what he has been doing for most of his adult life. Reminiscing at Rudy's is yet another melodic milestone in Person's long and impressive career.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

At Long Last Love; Again; Moon River; Put Your Head on My Shoulder; Why Did I Choose You; Nothing Ever Changes My Love for You; My Romance; I��ll Let You Know; Please Send Me Someone to Love; Reminiscing at Rudy��s.

Personnel

Houston Person

saxophone, tenor

Russell Malone

guitar

Larry Fuller

piano

Matthew Parrish

bass

Lewis Nash

drums

Album information

Title: Reminiscing at Rudy's | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: HighNote Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Jazz Promotion Network Conference 20...
< Previous

Geg�� Telesforo 5th at Politeama T...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.