"I am always trying to make that melody sing because I love melodies. Even if there is no lyric, I'm still singing it." So said saxophone legend Houston Person in a 2004 profile in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Person has been letting his soulful tenor saxophone do his vocalizing for close to five decades. Born in South Carolina, Person has developed an unadulterated style over the years reflecting both the blues/gospel heart and the rough-and-tumble spirit of those Southern roots. There's just no music more soulful than a Houston Person sax solo. His rendition of "Memories" will make you cry.

During an Air Force hitch in the mid-'50s, Person found himself stationed in Germany, where he got to play with musicians like Eddie Harris, Don Ellis and Cedar Walton. Leaving the Air Force, Person joined organist Jimmy "Hammond" Smith's band for two years, then went solo in 1961. He's been recording, touring and singing with his saxophone ever since.