Eric Person
Biography
Saxophonist Eric Person was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of local musician and businessman Thomas Person. A child prodigy, he began playing saxophone at age 7 and had gained his first orchestral experience by the time he was in the fifth grade. While at Normandy Junior and Senior High he continued his musical studies and eventually got his first opportunities to play jazz. As a member of The Norsemen, the top jazz band at Normandy High, Eric gained popularity and was active in almost every facet of music life at the school. Concert and symphonic orchestras, the marching bands and classical solo work kept Eric motivated to attend school. Those years at Normandy were also successful in developing his love of many types of musical expression. When not playing in school ensembles, he played in funk bands and was a member of the James Matthews Quartet. They worked many of the hot jazz clubs of the day around St. Louis such as the Barbary Coast and The Place of Pleasure. For a teenager to be able to cut his teeth on serious jazz, the experience was invaluable. "We were playing all the hippest songs in the jazz canon such as "Isotope," "Inner Urge," "Passion Dance," "Red Clay," and songs by John Coltrane, Horace Silver and Miles Davis.
Selected Discography
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