Houston Person

Biography

Person grew up in Florence, South Carolina, and first played piano before switching to tenor saxophone. He studied at South Carolina State College where he was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 1999.

In the United States Air Force, he joined a service band stationed in West Germany, and played with Don Ellis, Eddie Harris, Cedar Walton, and Leo Wright. He later continued his studies at Hartt College of Music in Hartford, Connecticut.

He first became known for a series of albums for Prestige in the 1960s. Contrary to popular belief, he was never married to the vocalist Etta Jones, but did spend many years as her musical partner, recording, performing and touring, and for much of his career this association was what he was best known for. They first met playing in organist Johnny Hammond's band.

There are more than 75 albums recorded by Houston Person as a bandleader, on Prestige, Westbound, Mercury, Savoy, and Muse, and he has most recently been recording on HighNote. He has recorded with Charles Brown, Ron Carter, Bill Charlap, Charles Earland, Lena Horne, Etta Jones, Lou Rawls, Janis Siegel, Horace Silver, Dakota Staton, Cedar Walton, plus Billy Butler, Don Patterson, Grant Green, Sonny Phillips, Johnny "Hammond" Smith, Richard "Groove" Holmes and others.

Person has been a resident of Newark, New Jersey.

As leader

As sideman

With The 3B's

With Gene Ammons

With Charles Brown

With Billy Butler

With Joey DeFrancesco

With Charles Earland

With Grant Green

With Tiny Grimes

With Peter Hand Big Band

With Richard "Groove" Holmes

With Charles Kynard

With Johnny Lytle

With Don Patterson

With Sonny Phillips

With Bernard Purdie

With Shirley Scott

With Janis Siegel

With Horace Silver

With Johnny "Hammond" Smith

With Melvin Sparks

With Paul (PB) Brown