Dwarsliggers & Buitenbeentjes

The youngest of the Heath Brothers, drummer Albert Heath, passed away at age 88 on 3 April 2024 in Sante Fe (New Mexico) from leukemia. His eldest brother, bassist Percy Heath, who was born in 1923, passed away at age 81 in 2005. Saxophonist and composer Jimmy Heath, born in 1926, passed away in 2020 at age 93. They departed to the afterlife in the same order they came into the world in Philadelphia.

It’s interesting that the musician with the most stable and consistent career, Percy Heath, lived the shortest life (although reaching almost 82 years is an achievement for a jazz musician in the U.S.), while the reckless rebel of the family, whose career initially involved drug use and imprisonment, lived to the age of 93. Though I should add that he succesfully tackled his personal problems and later in his career received abundant honors, awards, and certificates.

After serving a sentence of four years and five months in the Federal Prison in Lewisburg (Pennsylvania), Jimmy Heath was ready to resume his life as a tenor saxophonist and arranger on 21 May 1959. Orrin Keepnews was waiting for him with a tempting offer. At the recommendation of Cannonball Adderley, a close friend of Jimmy Heath, Keepnews was convinced that he could work with the reformed sinner. This partnership resulted in a memorable series of six Riverside albums between 1959 and 1964, with a new title released every year, each featuring a different lineup and approach: ‘The Thumper’ (’59), ‘Really Big’ (’60), ‘The Quota’ (’61), ‘Triple Threat’ (’62), ‘Swamp Seed’ (’63), and finally, in ’64, ‘On the Trail’. The six CDs share two constants: Jimmy Heath as both tenor saxophonist and composer/arranger, and his nearly ten years younger brother ‘Tootie’, responsible for the smooth swing. Percy, their brother, also appeares on four of the six records, suggesting they could have been released under the name of the Heath Brothers. However, the emphasis on the sibling relationship between Jimmy, Percy, and Tootie would only begin in 1975, with the LP Marchin’ On! (Strata-East). Unfortunately, this led to a series of ten records in which the brothers were sometimes influenced by the confusion of the times, as evidenced by the abundant use of poorly played flutes and other exotic instruments. Brrr.

ON HIS DEBUT ALBUM, TOOTIE BEHAVES LIKE THE MOST INCONSPICUOUS BOY IN CLASS

In an interview from 1960, Coltrane says about that time: “I left Johnny Hodges in 1954, then I played around Philly with an organ trio. You’ve heard of Shirley Scott —she was the organist. She swung me out of the place sometimes. Al Heath was on drums and we had a wonderful group. I got a chance to play, I was the only horn so I could stretch out, building up on the horn. That was what I wanted. Being with this group helped me very much.”

However, we should take into account that by May 1957, Coltrane had risen to a significant stature; he likely treated Tootie Heath no differently than before, but his time as a member of the Miles Davis Quintet between October 1955 and April 1957 had seen a meteoric rise in his development. Perhaps Tootie was also awed by the presence of “steel-fingered” bassist Paul Chambers or by the peculiar glances directed at him by the studio boss in Hackensack, Rudy van Gelder.

Either way: as impressed and understated as Al Heath comes across on his debut album, he exudes confidence and assertiveness on Really Big, the second Riverside record credited to his brother Jimmy Heath. The task on Really Big is far more complex than on COLTRANE: Albert Heath must not only provide the right accents and dynamic punctuation for the seven brass sections but also ensure that the solos swing. It is partly thanks to Jimmy Heath’s arranging skills that Tootie can showcase his supportive qualities so dynamically and magnificently. The seemingly unremarkable boy in the class of 1957 has evolved into an assertive team player.

The closing statement in The Guinness Who’s Who of Jazz about Al “Tootie” Heath hits the mark perfectly: “A subtle player with an exceptional ability as a sensitive accompanist, Al Heath remains one of the more interesting if lesser-known bebop drummers.”

PLAYLIST

*Johnny Splawn—trumpet, John Coltrane—tenor sax, Sahib Shihab—baritone sax (# 1, 3, 4), Mal Waldron—piano (# 1-3), Red Garland—piano (# 4), Paul Chambers—bass, Albert “Tootie” Heath—drums

Recording: 31 May 1957, Hackensack (New Jersey)

1. Straight Street (6:16)
2. While My Lady Sleeps (4:39)
3. Chronic Blues (8:10)
4. Bakai (8:39)

*Source: John Coltrane: COLTRANE—Prestige LP 7105

*Clark Terry—trumpet, Nat Adderley—cornet, Tom McIntosh—trombone, Dick Berg—horn, Cannonball Adderley—alto sax, Jimmy Heath—tenor sax, Pat Patrick—baritone sax, Tommy Flanagan—piano ( # 5-7), Cedar Walton—piano

(# 8-10), Percy Heath—bass, Albert Heath—drums

Recording: 24 and 28 June 1960, New York City (New York)

5. Big “P” (3:53)
6. Old Fashioned Fun (4:34)
7. On Green Dolphin Street (4:42)
8. Mona’s Mood (4:53)
   9.   Nails (4:47)
9. My Ideal (4:10)

*Source: The Jimmy Heath Orchestra: REALLY BIG!—Riverside LP 1188

picture: Frans Schellekens