Eric Person

Eric Person (born 1963 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American alto and soprano saxophone player and leader of Meta-Four and Metamorphosis. Since coming to New York City in 1982, Person has performed with a who's who list of legends on the jazz and rock scene. He's performed and recorded with jazz masters:McCoy Tyner, Dave Holland, Chico Hamilton, John Hicks and World Saxophone Quartet. In rock, funk and world music:Vernon Reid, Ben Harper, Ofra Haza and Bootsy Collins. Person is also on over fifty recordings as a leader and sideman.

Eric Person started music at an early age, picking up the alto saxophone at age seven. His father Thomas Person also a saxophonist started him off with the basics of the instrument, and concept of improvisation. He later sent his son to study privately at different music stores. Eric picked up the saxophone quickly, but it wasn't until his family moved from the city of St. Louis, to the county of Normandy, and he enrolled in Thomas Jefferson Elementary School that a passion for performing and studying music caught fire in him. After he entered Normandy Jr High School he started getting into more and more ensembles in and out of school. While at Normandy Jr high he was in the jazz band, concert band, and competed in his first classical competition where he was given a perfect score. Outside of school he would be in two R&B bands The Black Warriors Express and The Soulful Young Band. Both bands would perform local gigs, and some regional touring. In 1977, Eric entered Normandy High School. It was the beginning of an exciting period of discovery for Eric. Normandy High School had one of the top music programs in the state of Missouri and Eric tried to take part in as many bands as he could. He would join the marching band, concert bands, and one of the three jazz bands. He would later become part of the top jazz band, The Norsemen. While still in high school, he would attend the St. Louis Conservatory of Music, and a Saturday afternoon jazz theory class at Washington University. In 1978, While the jazz band was winning many awards at high school jazz competitions throughout Missouri, Eric won a best soloist award, which included a scholarship to attend a Jamey Abersold jazz camp that Summer. There he studied under pianist James Williams and heard many top shelf New York City jazz musicians such as Dave Liebman, Jim McNeely and Adam Nussbaum. There he also met St.louis pianist James "Ironhead" Matthews, he would join his jazz quartet for the next four years playing clubs around St.louis such as The Barbary Coast, The Place of Pleasure and Mr. B's in East St. Louis. Eric was living and learning jazz, playing with professionals, getting paid and this was wetting his appetite for more challenges. Around this time he composed his first jazz compositions. He found he had a love for composition and set about composing with the goal of expressing his personal ideas through song. His composition, Magenta which he wrote at age 18, is a personal favorite which he recorded on his Live at Big Sur CD, which was released in 2002. By the time Eric graduated high school in 1980 he was restless. He was hearing the call of greener pastures. He was reading about his idols in the Jazz Spotlight News that he subscribed to. It showed what was happening on the New York City jazz scene. So that summer he took a trip to New York City with James "Ironhead" Matthews, a trip that would change his life. He knew the "Big Apple" was the place to be. He came back to St. Louis with the goal of coming back to New York in three months. His father, who was all for his adventure, suggested that he stay home one year to save up some money, and "tie up some loose ends." It was wise advise which he heeded. In that year he studied with woodwind teacher Lloyd Smith, and took theory and piano classes at Florissant Valley Community college while finishing up his stint with the James "Ironhead" Matthews quartet.

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