Crate Digger’s Gold: Houston Person – Wild Flower

I was in Chicago, stopped by Dusty Groove, and found this album in the “new used” crate. With tenor saxophonist Houston Person, the provocative cover art (by Hal Wilson), the Muse label, the sidemen, and the reasonable price ($8.99-$9.36 is the median price on Discogs), I snatched it up. Based on the album art, the era (1977), the players, and the label, I assumed it would be soul jazz (it is). Turns out it is a well-regarded album and was never reissued digitally (on CD or streaming), so it is a nice find. It is in very good condition as advertised (plays without skipping, but features noticeable cosmetic wear and audible surface noise).

I really like the album as it is smooth without being smooth jazz. Houston Person always has a great tone, and it really shines on this album, backed by a soulful rhythm section: organist Sonny Phillips, drummer Idris Muhammad, and guitarist Jimmy Ponder. Person is underrated in the jazz world, but I’ve liked everything I have ever listened to. He has a unique ability to be a legitimate jazz cat while still being approachable and easy to listen to, without being easy listening.

Per the liner notes (Russ Chase, Record Review Editor, IAJRC JOURNAL):

Whether you hear Houston Person in person or via recordings, the first reaction is to marvel at the glorious floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall sound that he generates, apparently effortlessly. It is one of the more awesome that you are likely to ever hear, filled with the explosive power and, to use an old but appropriately descriptive phrase, the bursting-at-the-seams emotion that evokes the jazz sound. Once you have assimilated his tone, you’ll be boggled by the prodigious technique.

Players:

Houston Person – Tenor Saxophone  

 Bill Hardman – Trumpet  

 Sonny Phillips – Organ  

 Jimmy Ponder – Guitar  

 Idris Muhammad – Drums  

 Larry Killian – Congas, Percussion  

Produced by Houston Person and recorded September 12, 1977, at Van Gelder Studio (engineered by Rudy Van Gelder).

Tracklist:

Side A

1. “Preachin’ and Teachin‘” (Sonny Phillips) — 7:40

2. “Dameron” (Tadd Dameron) — 7:30

Side B

1. “Wildflower” (Doug Edwards & Dave Richardson) — 6:50

2. “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (Fats Waller, Harry Brooks, Andy Razaf) — 6:00

3. “My Romance” (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) — 5:30

Not available on streaming services.