Just the other day, I ran into a cat I didn’t know personally, but knew of him. His name is Chico Rouse. He is the owner of Chico’s House of Jazz here in Asbury Park. I introduced myself, and we got to talking about Jazz, his father Charles Rouse (who played with Thelonious Monk among others and a Solo artist in his own right), Jazz in Asbury Park, and really the state of music today. Chico is an old Jazz cat, who has a wealth of knowledge and information about the history of Jazz here in Asbury Park and the area. I’m looking forward to doing a piece about him, his father, and the Jazz history of Asbury Park in the near future. This is what got me thinking, man I have to dig out some Jazz 45’s. So here is one of the many Jazz 45’s I have been sitting on, and that I bought from the Old Man at the Spot. Here’s Houston Person with “Wadin’ ” on Prestige Records.

Born in Newberry South Carolina in 1934, Person originally started out as a pianist, but soon switched to the tenor saxophone. He spent his college years at South Carolina State before going into the Air Force. Here he would link up and play with such notables as Don Ellis and Eddie Harris. After his military duty he would go on to record for Prestige Records, mostly as a sideman with organist Johnny Hammond’s band. Here he would link up with Etta Jones, whom he would have a 30 year musical relationship with up until her death in 2001. Person has been a sideman, band leader, producer, and a successor to the Tenor saxophone crown passed along from Gene Ammons. He has performed and recorded with the likes of Charles Brown, Bill Charlap, Charles Earland, Lena Horne, Lou Rawls, Horace Silver, Dakota Staton, Billy Butler, and Richard “Groove” Holmes among others. He still continues to tour and play a massive amount of dates every year, and has finally gained the recognition he definitely deserves. A true Jazz legend, journeyman, and ambassador of this music.

Houston person was Soul Jazz. This slow steppin’ stretch of a walk on 45 has Person moving to his own groove on saxophone while an All Star cast of players backs him up. Check out the line up: Billy Gardner, Sonny Phillips (organ); Billy Butler (guitar); Bob Bushnell (electric bass); Frankie Jones (drums); Buddy Caldwell (congas). Reissued (and rightly so!) in the late 90’s in the Legends of Acid Jazz series, his Soul Dance! and Truth! classics were combined and had the same personnel as well as Bobby Caldwell and Boogaloo Joe Jones. What a great lineup addition to perfect the Sound of Soul Jazz. Here’s what Person had to say about Jazz in general:

“Well, it’s uplifting and important. And a release and a relief. That’s what it is, jazz, so called jazz, to me. It’s important that it’s relaxing. Something that when the end of the day comes, after a hard and frustrating day out in the world, that relieves you. Relaxes you and makes you feel good.”

Well put, and a motto to listen and play Jazz by. Keep Diggin’!

Download or Listen to Houston Person “Wadin’ ” from the Prestige Records 45