JAZZ REVIEWS : JONES AND PERSON MAKE CONNECTION

Fifteen years of musical togetherness have paid off considerable creative dividends for singer Etta Jones and tenor saxophonist Houston Person. Their opening set at the Vine St. Bar & Grill Wednesday night was a classic example of jazz communication at its best.

Person’s opening solo set--with a rhythm section that included Stan Hope on piano, Peter Weiss on bass and Cecil Brooks III on drums--featured his burly mainstream tenor style in a group of familiar standards.

Most appealing on ballads, Person was particularly impressive on “In a Sentimental Mood” and “Over the Rainbow,”--his dark, resonant lower register flowing across the melodies like honey from the horn.

On the other hand, Person’s up-tempo soloing--especially on “Secret Heart”--revealed a Don Byas-style focus on eighth-note arpeggiating that was initially fascinating, but ultimately a bit wearying.

Jones joined the group on “I’m in the Mood for Love,” and, as with Person, sounded considerably more appealing on her slower-paced selections. Back-to-back interpretations of “I’m Through With Love” and “Jim” produced stunning examples of her remarkable ability to blend gospel-type melodic phrasing with solid jazz propulsion.

The only problems came in the rare moments when the Person-Jones communication faltered. On “I Could Write a Book,” for example, both performers tried to occupy the same rhythmic space and wound up stepping on each other’s musical toes.

More often, fortunately, the connecting lines were in sync, as Person and Jones proved, once again, that musicians who stay together, play best together.