The Opening Round

In his review on Allmusic, Stewart Mason states "A fun and personable mix of jazz and soul classics plus a couple of originals by guitarist Rodney Jones, Houston Person's The Opening Round: Groove Masters Series, Vol. 1 isn't a jazz album for the ages, but it's start-to-finish entertaining. It's a straight-up groove album, with Person in front of a four-piece organ combo". In JazzTimes, Stanley Dance wrote: "Person’s thick, unmannered tone, love of melody and swing, together give his music an odd sobriety that he seems compelled to relieve with fast flurries of notes".

1. "Sweet Sucker" (Johnny Griffin), 1:27
2. "Let's Stay Together" (Al Green, Al Jackson Jr., Willie Mitchell), 3:56
3. "Can't Help Lovin' That Man" (Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II), 4:06
4. "What's Going On?" (Marvin Gaye, Renaldo Benson, Al Cleveland), 2:32
5. "When a Man Loves a Woman" (Calvin Lewis, Andrew Wright), 3:41
6. "Blue Spring" (Rodney Jones), 4:35
7. "Song for a Rainbow" (Jones), 3:57
8. "Shenandoah" (Traditional), 4:55

• Houston Person, tenor saxophone
• Joey DeFrancesco, Hammond B3 organ
• Rodney Jones, guitar
• Tracy Wormworth, electric bass
• Bernard Purdie, drums