Houston Person - Legends Of Acid Jazz (1996)

Tracklist

01. Son Of Man
02. Tear Drops
03. Close To You
04. Drown In My Own Tears
05. Up At Joe's, Down At Jim's
06. Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday
07. Young, Gifted And Black
08. The Houston Express
09. Enjoy
10. Give More Power To The People (For God's Sake)
11. Chains Of Love
12. Just My Imagination
13. Lift Every Voice And Sing

Houston Person was among the guttiest of the gutbucket saxophonists of the soul-jazz golden age - for proof, look no further than Legends of Acid Jazz: Houston Person, which compiles two of the saxman's most popular releases, Person to Person! and Houston Express (both originally released in 1970). Express featured the "funkmaster general" of the tenor saxophone with a tight, pocket-sized ensemble (including guitarist Grant Green and drummer Idris Muhammad), while, on Person!, his supporting ensemble expanded to include trumpet players Cecil Bridgewater and Thad Jones, guitarist Billy Butler and another kindred spirit and prince of funk on his instrument, Motown bassist Gerry Jemmott.
Legends of Acid Jazz: Houston Person provides a high-voltage cover version extravaganza, including "(For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People" (the Chi-Lites), "Close to You" (the Carpenters), "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yester-Day" (Stevie Wonder), "Young, Gifted and Black" (Aretha Franklin), "Just My Imagination" (the Temptations), and "Lift Every Voice and Sing," which Person describes in his liner notes as the "black national anthem." Person and friends turn every one of these, and others such as his own "Up at Joe's, Down at Jim's" and his trademark "The Houston Express" into stinging, swinging, original-sounding opuses of funk.

DOWNLOAD ALBUM [flac]