Houston Person On Muse

[Soulstation1]

it looks like i'm gonna have to track this stuff down

:rsmile:

[Dan Gould]

it looks like i'm gonna have to track this stuff down

:rsmile:

You really should - but check AMG for what came out on 32 Jazz.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Indeed - some of that stuff is classic funkaroonies. And some is very good straight ahead stuff. List to follow.

MG

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Here we are - Houston Person’s Muse albums as leader or co-leader

(First two produced by Michael Cuscuna; rest produced by Houston Person)

Stolen sweets – 5110 – Apr 1976 (Ponder, Phillips, F Jones, B Caldwell – superb straight-ahead organ session)

The big horn – 5136 – May 1976 (C Walton, B Williams, G Tate, B Caldwell – excellent straight ahead session but watch out for off-centre Bsides)

Wildflower – 5161 – Sep 1977 (Hardman, Ponder, Phillips, Muhammad, L Killian, B Caldwell – classic of funky jazz)

The nearness of you – 5178 – Nov 1977 (V Jones, Sparks, Earland, Phillips (el pno), M Bronson, G Tate, L Killian, E Jones (1 track) – another classic of funky jazz)

Suspicions – 5199 – Apr 1980 (V Jones, Phillips/E Hayes, J Cavari/Sparks, Bad Bascombe, Muhammad, R Dorsey, Ott – nearly a classic of funky jazz)

Very personal – 5231 – Aug 1980 (C Walton, C Fuller, B Williams, V Fournier – need more be said? Oh yes, VERY sexy sleeve.)

Heavy juice – 5260 – Jun 1982 (Sparks, Jon Logan, David Braham, Bascombe, Purdie/Billy James, Dorsey, Ott – great album of odd material but trax a bit too short)

Always on my mind – 5289 – Sep 1985 (Braham, Ted Brancato, Bascombe, Purdie, Dorsey – nice album of pop songs not usually done in jazz)

It’s the talk of the town – 5331 – Jan 1987 (C Bridgewater, S Hope, B Williams, G Tate, Dorsey – standards – BEAUTIFUL!!!!)

Basics – 5344 – Oct 1987 (Hope, PM Weiss, Brooks III, Dorsey – good but not as good as last – VERY sexy cover feat Alicia Lashley!)

Something in common – 5376 – Feb 1989 (duets with Ron Carter) (nice, well, a lot better than that)

The party – 5451 – Nov 1989 (Joey de F, Randy Johnston, Bertell Knox, Figueroa – great session)

Now’s the time – Jan 1990 (duets with Ron Carter) (also very nice)

Just friends – 5418 – Feb 1990 (with Buddy Tate & Nat Simpkins) (also with Hope, Holley, G Tate – one of my fave Persons & Tates – Holley is fabuloso on this)

Why not – 5433 – Oct 1990 (Joey deF, Philip Harper, Winard Harper, R Johnston, Figueroa – as good as “Party” – title track is the Don Patterson tune)

The lion and his pride – 5480 – Sep 1991 (Philip & Winard, Benny Green (p), McBride, Figueroa – Young Lions album – really very, very good indeed)

Christmas with Houston Person & friends – 5530 – Jul & Aug 1994 (lots of people inc vocals from Etta Jones, Della Griffin & Grady Tate – a nice Christmas album)

Horn to horn – 5540 – Dec 1994 (with Teddy Edwards) (Wyands, Peter Washington, Kenny Washington – incredible album! – two-horn tributes to Trane, Ben, Prez, Getz, Hawk, Jug, Dex & Jaws)

During this period, which was a very good one for him, Houston also recorded as a leader for other labels. This material is:

Pure pleasure – Mercury SRM-1-1104 – Jun 1976

Harmony - Mercury SRM-1-1151 – Mar 1977

(tell you ‘bout these two later )

The Gospel soul of Houston Person – Savoy 14471 – c1978 (this is not a jazz album – features Atlanta Philharmonic Chorale & the Ogletree Brothers)

Don’t misunderstand – HighNote 7173 – 1980 (with Etta Jones) (Phillips & F Jones – fabulous live session not released until this year)

Road warriors – Greene Street 2002 – May 1984 (with Les McCann) (Bobby Bryant Jr, Lou Volpe, G King, Buddy Williams, Richard Malcolm – Creed Taylor production – I love this one! But it’s not for everyone)

Creation – Greene Street 2003 – Jul & Aug 1984 (with Roger Kellaway) (I think it’s duets but I haven’t got this one – another Creed Taylor job)

We owe it all to love – Baseline (UK) 001 – Sep 1988

(tell you about this one later, too)

A night in Roppungi – All Art KICJ205 – Mar 1990 (with Etta Jones) (Hope, PM Weiss, Brooks III – great live session)

It’s obvious that there are big gaps between some sessions. I don’t think Houston was taking time out; I think he was just too busy, and getting a lot of exposure on disc, appearing on other people’s Muse albums which he produced – Groove Holmes, Johnny Lytle, Etta Jones, Charles Brown, Charles Earland, Jack McDuff, Shirley Scott & Jimmy Ponder, to name a few. Houston never appears to have been short of work.

MG

[Dan Gould]

During this period, which was a very good one for him, Houston also recorded as a leader for other labels. This material is:

Pure pleasure – Mercury SRM-1-1104 – Jun 1976

Harmony - Mercury SRM-1-1151 – Mar 1977

(tell you ‘bout these two later )

I had the misfortune of hearing Pure Pleasure which is truly horrid.

Road warriors – Greene Street 2002 – May 1984 (with Les McCann) (Bobby Bryant Jr, Lou Volpe, G King, Buddy Williams, Richard Malcolm – Creed Taylor production – I love this one! But it’s not for everyone)

Mileage really varies - Jim S. has dissed this in some pretty nasty terms. Iirc, he describes it as sounding as like everyone was staring at the clock, waiting to get the hell out of there.

Creation – Greene Street 2003 – Jul & Aug 1984 (with Roger Kellaway) (I think it’s duets but I haven’t got this one – another Creed Taylor job)

I've seen this many times on eBay but never taken the plunge. Still curious though, wish someone knew what its like.

A night in Roppungi – All Art KICJ205 – Mar 1990 (with Etta Jones) (Hope, PM Weiss, Brooks III – great live session)

Curious about this, I came close to buying a Japanese CD lately.

Last but not least, you are also missing a Soulnote date led by Ran Blake.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Last but not least, you are also missing a Soulnote date led by Ran Blake.

Yes, I knew about this, but didn't think Houston was the co-leader. I don't have that one, either.

MG

PS - there is also an album with Grooveyard (German version of Organissimo), on the Organic Music label, from this period, also featuring Red Holloway and Roman Schwaller.

Edited November 28, 2007 by The Magnificent Goldberg

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

OK, here are the stories.

The two Mercury albums were intended, by Mercury, to follow up, and cash in on, Houston’s success with “Get outa my way”, and the single taken from it, “Disco sax”, on Westbound – both the album and the single made the R&B charts. So, based on sales assumptions, Mercury set a budget for the two albums at $35,000 each. Remember this was mid-seventies money – you could probably more than double it now. Houston negotiated that he, not some Mercury employee, should produce the albums. And he brought in each project for about $7,000 – the rest, of course, about $55,000, was his artist’s pay!

So who says the record industry is structured so that musicians don’t get paid?

The albums are what you’d expect – competently played disco, complete with swirling strings and backing vocalists and sloppy tunes like “I write the songs”. But on “Harmony”, Houston put in something for himself – a great eleven and a half minute funky version of Fela Kuti’s “I no get eye for back”, which sounds great as an instrumental, with a big band pumping behind HP. In early 1977, how hip was that! Houston, I’ve been told by more than one source, has a record collection that would put most of ours to shame. (That LP also has a great sexy cover of Houston’s teenage daughter in a swimming costume beside a bath overflowing with blue ink.)

“We owe it all to love” came about because Bill Shannon, the owner of Baseline Records (this was the only record ever issued on the label), wrote to Muse asking if he could license some of the funky material for issue as a compilation in the UK (I don’t think any Muse LP was ever issued in the UK). This was in the period when Acid Jazz LPs were fetching horrendous prices in England. Houston himself suggested that, instead of reissuing old stuff, Shannon should pay him to make a new album in that style. It seems to have been part of the agreement with Muse that it was only to be issued in Britain. And yes, it sure is funky! In particular, “Jive samba” is a dancefloor KILLER!

MG

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Road warriors – Greene Street 2002 – May 1984 (with Les McCann) (Bobby Bryant Jr, Lou Volpe, G King, Buddy Williams, Richard Malcolm – Creed Taylor production – I love this one! But it’s not for everyone)

Mileage really varies - Jim S. has dissed this in some pretty nasty terms. Iirc, he describes it as sounding as like everyone was staring at the clock, waiting to get the hell out of there.

Hence my cautionary note. I really rather like albums that are made simply to make money. And this is a fabulous example of that!

MG

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Horn to horn – 5540 – Dec 1994 (with Teddy Edwards) (Wyands, Peter Washington, Kenny Washington – incredible album! – two-horn tributes to Trane, Ben, Prez, Getz, Hawk, Jug, Dex & Jaws)

I thought I was going to love this when I got it. Unfortunately, RVG recorded it and added some horrendous reverb. It sounds like the horns are being played in an empty warehouse. Great tunes and great playing but I just can't get over the lousy sound here.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Horn to horn – 5540 – Dec 1994 (with Teddy Edwards) (Wyands, Peter Washington, Kenny Washington – incredible album! – two-horn tributes to Trane, Ben, Prez, Getz, Hawk, Jug, Dex & Jaws)

I thought I was going to love this when I got it. Unfortunately, RVG recorded it and added some horrendous reverb. It sounds like the horns are being played in an empty warehouse. Great tunes and great playing but I just can't get over the lousy sound here.

Never noticed. Bet you HATE Jug's recordings for Aristocrat/Chess in the 1948-51 period.

MG

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Horn to horn – 5540 – Dec 1994 (with Teddy Edwards) (Wyands, Peter Washington, Kenny Washington – incredible album! – two-horn tributes to Trane, Ben, Prez, Getz, Hawk, Jug, Dex & Jaws)

I thought I was going to love this when I got it. Unfortunately, RVG recorded it and added some horrendous reverb. It sounds like the horns are being played in an empty warehouse. Great tunes and great playing but I just can't get over the lousy sound here.

Never noticed. Bet you HATE Jug's recordings for Aristocrat/Chess in the 1948-51 period.

MG

Never heard them so I can't compare. The closest I can compare is Dexter's horn on "One Flight Up". Close, but not nearly as bad as on "Horn To Horn".