Eric Person | Rhythm Edge
(Distinction Records)
Remixed, remastered, and reissued almost two decades after its initial release, Missouri-born Hudson Valley jazz saxophonist Eric Person’s Rhythm Edge shows the young composer—then already a veteran with Dave Holland, Chico Hamilton, and the World Saxophone Quartet—exploring the form and planting the seeds that would blossom into his current world-class status. References abound not just in sound, but even in title, with the propulsive opening track “Tyner Town” echoing the pulse of John Coltrane, and “Majestic Taurean Majesty” hinting at the Ellington-meets-Bach shiver of Charles Mingus’s “Taurus in the Arena of Life.” Even the cover image nods towards trumpeter Freddie Hubbard’s 1970 classic Red Clay, which inspired Person early on. But these are just allusions. Person and stellar company—including guests Ingrid Jensen (trumpet), Robin Eubanks (trombone), and Jarod Kashkin (piano)—quickly establish a singular identity that has only been refined on subsequent releases, including 2022’s stellar Blue Vision.
This article appears in December 2024.
