Albert "Tootie" Heath (May 31, 1935 – April 3, 2024) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

hard bop Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop (or "bop") music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospe ...

drummer, the brother of tenor saxophonist

Jimmy Heath James Edward Heath (October 25, 1926 – January 19, 2020), nicknamed Little Bird, was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader. He was the brother of bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert Heath. Biography Heath w ...

and the

double-bassist The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument, chordophone in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions ...

Percy Heath Percy Heath (April 30, 1923 – April 28, 2005) was an American jazz bassist, brother of saxophonist Jimmy Heath and drummer Albert Heath, with whom he formed the Heath Brothers in 1975. Heath played with the Modern Jazz Quartet througho ...

. With

Stanley Cowell Stanley Cowell (May 5, 1941 – December 17, 2020) was an American jazz pianist and co-founder of the Strata-East Records label. Early life Cowell was born in Toledo, Ohio. He began playing the piano around the age of four, and became intereste ...

, the Heaths formed the

Heath Brothers The Heath Brothers was an American jazz group, formed in 1975 in Philadelphia, by the brothers Jimmy (tenor saxophone), Percy (bass), and Albert "Tootie" Heath (drums); and pianist Stanley Cowell. Tony Purrone (guitar) and Mtume (percussion) ...

jazz band in 1975.

Life and career

Born in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, United States on May 31 1935, he first recorded in 1957 with

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

. From 1958 to 1974, he worked with, among others, J. J. Johnson,

Wes Montgomery John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. Montgomery was known for his unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and for his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a ...

Art Farmer Arthur Stewart Farmer (August 21, 1928 – October 4, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. He also played flumpet, a trumpet–flugelhorn combination especially designed for him. He and his identical twin brother, doub ...

and

Benny Golson Benny Golson (January 25, 1929 – September 21, 2024) was an American bebop and hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He came to prominence with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, more as a writer than a p ...

's Jazztet,

Cedar Walton Cedar Anthony Walton Jr. (January 17, 1934 – August 19, 2013) was an American hard bop jazz pianist. He came to prominence as a member of drummer Art Blakey's band, The Jazz Messengers, before establishing a long career as a bandleader and c ...

Bobby Timmons Robert Henry Timmons (December 19, 1935 – March 1, 1974) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He was a sideman in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers for two periods (July 1958 to September 1959; February 1960 to June 1961), between which he ...

Kenny Drew Kenneth Sidney "Kenny" Drew (August 28, 1928 – August 4, 1993) was an American-Danish jazz pianist. Biography Drew was born on August 28, 1928, in New York City, United States, and he received piano lessons from the age of five. Feather, ...

Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American retired jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, Rollins recorded over sixt ...

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians. Gordon's height was , so he was also known as "Long Tall Dexter" an ...

Johnny Griffin John Arnold Griffin III (April 24, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of ...

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...

Friedrich Gulda Friedrich Gulda (16 May 1930 – 27 January 2000) was an Austrian pianist and composer who worked in both the classical and jazz fields. Biography Early life and career Born in Vienna the son of a teacher, Gulda began learning to play the piano ...

Nina Simone Nina Simone ( ; born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003) was an American singer, pianist, songwriter, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and po ...

, and

Yusef Lateef Yusef Abdul Lateef (born William Emanuel Huddleston; October 9, 1920 – December 23, 2013) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and prominent figure among the Ahmadiyya Community in the United States. Although Lateef's main i ...

. In 1975, he, Jimmy and Percy formed the

. He remained with the group until 1978, then left to freelance. He recorded extensively throughout his career. Among his many workshop and classroom teaching assignments, Heath was a regular instructor at the

Stanford Jazz Workshop Stanford Jazz Workshop (SJW) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to jazz education and the annual concert series known as the Stanford Jazz Festival. SJW was founded in 1972 by saxophonist and educator Jim Nadel. Though many of its activities a ...

. Heath was later the producer and leader of The Whole Drum Truth, a jazz drum ensemble featuring

Ben Riley Benjamin Alexander Riley Jr. (July 17, 1933 – November 18, 2017) was an American jazz drummer known for his work with Thelonious Monk, as well as Alice Coltrane, Stan Getz, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Ahmad Jamal, and as a member of the group Sp ...

Ed Thigpen Edmund Leonard Thigpen (December 28, 1930 – January 13, 2010) was an American jazz drummer, best known for his work with the Oscar Peterson trio from 1959 to 1965. Thigpen also performed with the Billy Taylor trio from 1956 to 1959. Biograph ...

, Jackie Williams,

Billy Hart Billy Hart (born November 29, 1940) is an American jazz drumming, jazz drummer and educator. He is known internationally for his work with Herbie Hancock's "Mwandishi" band in the early 1970s, as well as with Shirley Horn, Stan Getz, and Quest (b ...

Charlie Persip Charles Lawrence Persip (July 26, 1929 – August 23, 2020), known as Charli Persip and formerly as Charlie Persip (he changed the spelling of his name to Charli in the late 1960s), was an American jazz drummer. Biography Born in Morristown, N ...

Leroy Williams Leroy Williams (February 3, 1937 – June 1, 2022) was an American drummer, mostly known for his work in jazz. Williams first began playing drums as a teenager in the 1950s. From 1959 to the middle of the 1960s he played with singer Judy Roberts ...

and

Louis Hayes Louis Hayes (born May 31, 1937) is an American jazz drummer and band leader. He was with McCoy Tyner's trio for more than three years. Since 1989 he has led his own band, and together with Vincent Herring formed the Cannonball Legacy Band. He i ...

. Albert Heath died of leukemia in

Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , literal translation, lit. "Holy Faith") is the capital city, capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Santa Fe County. With over 89,000 residents, Santa Fe is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, fourt ...

, on April 3, 2024, at the age of 88.

Discography

As leader

*1969: ''Kawaida'' (O'Be, 1969) with

Ed Blackwell Edward Joseph Blackwell (October 10, 1929 – October 7, 1992) was an American jazz drummer, best known known for his work with saxophonist Ornette Coleman. Biography Blackwell was born in New Orleans on October 10, 1929. His career began ther ...

Buster Williams Charles Anthony "Buster" Williams (born April 17, 1942) is an American jazz bassist. Williams is known for his membership in pianist Herbie Hancock's early 1970s group, as well as working with guitarist Larry Coryell, the Thelonious Monk reperto ...

James Mtume James Forman (January 3, 1946 – January 9, 2022), known professionally as Mtume or James Mtume, was an American jazz and R&B musician, songwriter, record producer, activist, and radio personality. He came to prominence as a jazz musician, wo ...

*1974: '' Kwanza (The First)'' (

Muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

) *2009: ''Live at Smalls'' (Smalls Live) *2012: ''Krakkle'' (Geco) *2013: ''Tootie's Tempo'' (Sunnyside) *2014: ''Philadelphia Beat'' (Sunnyside)

As sideman

With

Kenny Barron Kenneth Barron (born June 9, 1943) is an American jazz pianist and composer who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era. Early life ...

*'' Peruvian Blue'' (Muse, 1974) With

Walter Benton Walter Benton (September 8, 1930 in Los Angeles – August 14, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Benton first began playing saxophone as a high schooler in Los Angeles. After three years of service in the Army in the early 1950s, he ...

*'' Out of This World'' ( Jazzland, 1960) With

Anthony Braxton Anthony Braxton (born June 4, 1945) is an American experimental composer, educator, music theorist, improviser and multi-instrumentalist who is best known for playing saxophones, particularly the alto. Braxton grew up on the South Side of Chi ...

*'' In the Tradition'' (

SteepleChase SteepleChase Records is a jazz record company and label based in Copenhagen, Denmark. SteepleChase was founded in 1972 by Nils Winther, who was a student at Copenhagen University at the time. He began recording concerts at Jazzhus Montmartre, ...

, 1974) *'' In the Tradition Volume 2'' (SteepleChase, 1974

977 Year 977 ( CMLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * May – Boris II, dethroned emperor (''tsar'') of Bulgaria, and his brother Roman manage to escape from captivity in Const ...

With

George Cables George Andrew Cables (born November 14, 1944) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Early life Cables was born in New York City, United States. He was initially taught piano by his mother. He then studied at the High School of Performing Art ...

*''

Skylark ''Alauda'' is a genus of larks found across much of Europe, Asia and in the mountains of north Africa, and one of the species (the Raso lark) endemic to the islet of Raso in the Cape Verde Islands Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially ...

'' (SteepleChase, 1995) With the

Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band The Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band was a jazz big band co-led by American drummer Kenny Clarke and Belgian pianist François "Francy" Boland. They were one of the most noteworthy jazz big bands formed outside the United States, featuring top ...

*''

Latin Kaleidoscope ''Latin Kaleidoscope'' is an album by the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band featuring performances recorded in Germany in 1968 and released on the MPS label in Europe and also released in the US on Prestige Records. Reception AllMusic awarde ...

'' ( MPS, 1968) With

*'' Coltrane'' (

Prestige Prestige may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films *Prestige (film), ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnett: woman travels to French Indochina to meet up with husband *The Prestige (film), ''The Prestige'' (fi ...

, 1957) *'' Lush Life'' (Prestige, 1956–58

961 Year 961 ( CMLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * March 6 – Siege of Chandax: Byzantine forces under Nikephoros II Phokas capture and pillage Chandax after an 8 ...

With

Ted Curson Theodore Curson (June 3, 1935 – November 4, 2012) was an American jazz trumpeter. Life and career Curson was born in Philadelphia. He became interested in playing trumpet after watching a newspaper salesman play a silver trumpet. Curson's fath ...

*''

Quicksand Quicksand (also known as sinking sand) is a colloid consisting of fine granular material (such as sand, silt or clay) and water. It forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. When water in the sand cannot escape, it crea ...

'' (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

, 1974) With

Kenny Dorham McKinley Howard "Kenny" Dorham (August 30, 1924 – December 5, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and occasional singer. Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention ...

*''

Trompeta Toccata ''Trompeta Toccata'' is a 1964 album by jazz trumpeter Kenny Dorham. It was released by Blue Note Records in 1965 as BST 84181. It was remastered by original recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder in 2006. ''Trompeta Toccata'', as with Dorham's pr ...

'' (

Blue Note Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue no ...

, 1964) With

*'' Dark Beauty'' (Steeplechase, 1974) *'' If You Could See Me Now'' (Steeplechase, 1974) With

*'' Big City Sounds'' (

Argo In Greek mythology, the ''Argo'' ( ; ) was the ship of Jason and the Argonauts. The ship was built with divine aid, and some ancient sources describe her as the first ship to sail the seas. The ''Argo'' carried the Argonauts on their quest fo ...

, 1960) – with Benny Golson *''

Art Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...

'' (Argo, 1960) *'' The Jazztet and John Lewis'' (Argo, 1961) – with Benny Golson *''

The Jazztet at Birdhouse ''The Jazztet at Birdhouse'' is a live album by the Jazztet, led by trumpeter Art Farmer and saxophonist Benny Golson. It features performances recorded in Chicago in 1961 and was originally released on the Argo label.New York Jazz Sextet: Group Therapy'' (Scepter, 1966) *'' Voices All'' (Eastworld, 1982) – with Benny Golson *''

Moment to Moment ''Moment to Moment'' is a 1966 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Jean Seberg, Honor Blackman and Sean Garrison. Plot Kay Stanton lives on the French Riviera with her psychiatrist husband Neil Sta ...

'' (

Soul Note Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated Italian independent record labels. Since their conception in the 1970s, they have released albums from a variety of influential jazz musicians, particularly in the genre of free jazz. History Black S ...

, 1983) – with Benny Golson *'' Central Avenue Reunion'' (

Contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from about 1945 to the present. In the social sciences, contemporary history is also continuous with, and related t ...

, 1989) With

*''

Take a Number from 1 to 10 ''Take a Number from 1 to 10'' is an album by saxophonist Benny Golson, featuring performances recorded in late 1960 and early 1961 and originally released on the Argo Records, Argo label.

'' (Argo, 1961) *'' The Roland Kirk Quartet Meets the Benny Golson Orchestra'' (Mercury, 1964) With

*'' Both Sides of Midnight'' (

Black Lion Black Lion, Black Lions, or Blacklions may refer to: Businesses and organisations * Black Lion, Hammersmith, a London pub * Black Lion, Kilburn, a London pub * Black Lion Records, a British jazz record company * Black Lions Films, associated wi ...

, 1967

981 Year 981 ( CMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – Emperor Otto II (the Red) leads the imperial court to Rome, making the city his imperial capital, and receiv ...

*'' Body and Soul'' (Black Lion, 1967

*''

Take the "A" Train "Take the 'A' Train" is a jazz standard by Billy Strayhorn that was the signature tune of the Duke Ellington orchestra. In 1976, the 1941 recording by Duke Ellington on Victor Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. History The u ...

'' (Black Lion, 1967

988 Year 988 ( CMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Fall – Emperor Basil II, supported by a contingent of 6,000 Varangians (the future Varangian Guard), organiz ...

*'' The Tower of Power!'' (Prestige, 1969) *'' More Power!'' (Prestige, 1969) *''

The Apartment ''The Apartment'' is a 1960 American romantic comedy-drama film directed and produced by Billy Wilder from a screenplay he co-wrote with I. A. L. Diamond. It stars Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray, with Ray Walston and Edie ...

'' (SteepleChase, 1975) With

Bennie Green Bennie Green (April 16, 1923 – March 23, 1977) was an American jazz trombonist. Born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, Green worked in the orchestras of Earl Hines and Charlie Ventura, and recorded as bandleader through the 1950s and ...

and

Gene Ammons Eugene "Jug" Ammons (April 14, 1925 – August 6, 1974), also known as "The Boss", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. The son of boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene Ammons is remembered for his accessible music, steeped in soul and R ...

*''

The Swingin'est ''The Swingin'est'' is an album by American trombonist Bennie Green and saxophonist Gene Ammons recorded in 1958 and released on the Vee-Jay label.

'' (

Vee-Jay Vee-Jay Records is an American record label founded in the 1950s, located in Chicago and specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. The label was founded in Gary, Indiana, in 1953 by Vivian Carter and James C. Bracken, a ...

, 1958) With

*'' Bush Dance'' (

Galaxy A galaxy is a Physical system, system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar medium, interstellar gas, cosmic dust, dust, and dark matter bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek ' (), literally 'milky', ...

, 1978) With

*''

The Prisoner ''The Prisoner'' is a British television series created by Patrick McGoohan. McGoohan portrays Number Six (The Prisoner), Number Six, an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a The Village (The Prisoner), mysteri ...

'' (

, 1969) *''

Fat Albert Rotunda ''Fat Albert Rotunda'' is the eighth album by jazz keyboardist Herbie Hancock, released in 1969. It was Hancock's first release for Warner Bros. Records after his departure from Blue Note Records. The music was originally done for the TV spec ...

'' ( Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, 1969) With

*''

The Thumper ''The Thumper'' is the debut album by saxophonist Jimmy Heath featuring performances recorded in 1959 originally released on the Riverside label.

'' ( Riverside, 1959) *'' Really Big!'' (Riverside, 1960) *'' The Quota'' (Riverside, 1961) *'' Triple Threat'' (Riverside, 1962) *''

Swamp Seed ''Swamp Seed'' is the fifth album by the saxophonist Jimmy Heath of performances recorded in 1963, originally released on the Riverside label.

'' (Riverside, 1963) *'' On the Trail'' (Riverside, 1964) *'' The Gap Sealer'' (Cobblestone, 1973) *'' You've Changed'' (SteepleChase, 1991) *'' You or Me'' (SteepleChase, 1995) With

Milt Jackson Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solos as a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet and his penchant for collaborating with ...

*'' Milt Jackson Quintet Live at the Village Gate'' (Riverside, 1963) *'' Much in Common'' with Ray Brown (

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * '' The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee h ...

, 1964) With J. J. Johnson *'' J. J. in Person!'' ( Columbia, 1958) *''

Really Livin' ''Really Livin'' is an album recorded by the J. J. Johnson Sextet which was released on the Columbia label. Reception AllMusic awarded the album 3 stars. Track listing # "Me Too" (J. J. Johnson) - 6:00 # "Decision" (Sonny Rollins) - 4:50 # " ...

'' (Columbia, 1959) *'' J.J. Inc.'' (Columbia, 1961) With

Clifford Jordan Clifford Laconia Jordan (September 2, 1931 – March 27, 1993) was an American jazz tenor saxophone player and composer. Originally from Chicago, Jordan later moved to New York City, where he recorded extensively in addition to touring across ...

*'' Spellbound'' (Riverside, 1960) *'' Starting Time'' (Jazzland, 1961) *'' These are My Roots: Clifford Jordan Plays Leadbelly'' (Atlantic, 1965) *'' In the World'' ( Strata-East, 1969

972 Year 972 ( CMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Spring – Emperor John I Tzimiskes divides the Bulgarian territories, recently held by the Kievan Rus', into six ...

*''

Half Note In music, a half note (American) or minim (British) is a Musical note, note played for half the duration of a whole note (or semibreve) and twice the duration of a quarter note (or crotchet). It was given its Latin name (''minima'', meaning "le ...

'' (SteepleChase, 1974

985 Year 985 ( CMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Henry II (the Wrangler) is restored as duke of Bavaria by Empress Theophanu and her mother-in-law Adelaide at an ...

With

*''

Yusef Lateef's Detroit ''Yusef Lateef's Detroit'' (subtitled ''Latitude 42° 30′ Longitude 83°'') is an album by multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef recorded in 1969 (with one track from ''The Complete Yusef Lateef'' recording sessions in 1967) and released on the At ...

'' (Atlantic, 1969) *'' Suite 16'' (Atlantic, 1970) *'' The Gentle Giant'' (Atlantic, 1971) *'' Hush 'N' Thunder'' (Atlantic, 1972) *'' Part of the Search'' (Atlantic, 1973) *'' 10 Years Hence'' (Atlantic, 1974) With

Johnny Lytle John “Johnny” Dillard Lytle (October 13, 1932 in Springfield, Ohio – December 15, 1995 in Springfield) was an American jazz drummer and vibraphonist. Life and career Lytle grew up in Springfield, Ohio in a family of musicians, the son o ...

*'' Blue Vibes'' (Jazzland, 1960) With

Roberto Magris Roberto Magris (born 19 June 1959) is an Italian jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Early life Magris was born in Trieste, Italy, on 19 June 1959. He had piano lessons between the ages of four and sixteen. He became interested in jazz aft ...

* '' Morgan Rewind: A Tribute to Lee Morgan Vol. 1'' (JMood, 2012) * '' One Night in with Hope and More Vol. 1'' (JMood, 2012) * '' One Night in with Hope and More Vol. 2'' (JMood, 2013) With Guido Manusardi *''Trio de Jazz'' (Electrecord – EDE 0476, 1968) With

Warne Marsh Warne Marion Marsh (October 26, 1927 – December 18, 1987) was an American tenor saxophonist. Born in Los Angeles, his playing first came to prominence in the 1950s as a protégé of pianist Lennie Tristano and earned attention in the 1970s as ...

*'' Back Home'' ( Criss Cross, 1986) With

Ronnie Mathews Ronald Mathews (December 2, 1935, in New York City – June 28, 2008, in Brooklyn) was an American jazz pianist who worked with Max Roach from 1963 to 1968 and Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. He acted as lead in recording from 1963 and 1978–79. Hi ...

*'' Doin' the Thang!'' (Prestige, 1963) With Charles McPherson *'' Bebop Revisited!'' (Prestige, 1964) With

Blue Mitchell Richard Allen "Blue" Mitchell (March 13, 1930 – May 21, 1979) was an American trumpeter and composer who worked in jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock and funk. He recorded albums as leader and sideman for Riverside, Mainstream Records, and Bl ...

*''

A Sure Thing ''A Sure Thing'' is an album by American trumpeter Blue Mitchell with orchestra recorded in 1962 and released on the Riverside label.

'' (Riverside, 1962) *'' Mapenzi'' with

Harold Land Harold de Vance Land (December 18, 1928 – July 27, 2001) was an American hard bop and post-bop tenor saxophonist. Land developed his hard bop playing with the Max Roach/Clifford Brown band into a personal, modern style, often rivalling Clifford ...

(

Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other words Arts and media * ''Concord'' (video game), a defunct 2024 first-person sh ...

, 1977) With

Roscoe Mitchell Roscoe Mitchell (born August 3, 1940) is an American composer, jazz instrumentalist, and educator, known for being "a technically superb – if idiosyncratic – saxophonist". ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' described him as "one of the key figure ...

*'' Hey Donald'' ( Delmark, 1995) *'' In Walked Buckner'' (Delmark, 1999) With

*''

The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery ''The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery'' is an album by the American jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery. Most of its tracks exemplify two of Montgomery's distinguishing techniques: "thumb picking" and the use of octaves. In 2017, the album wa ...

'' (Riverside, 1960) With

Tete Montoliu Vicenç Montoliu i Massana, better known as Tete Montoliu (28 March 1933 – 24 August 1997) was a Spanish jazz pianist from Catalonia, Spain. Born blind, he learnt braille music at age seven. His styles varied from hard bop, through Afro-Cuban, ...

*'' Piano for Nuria'' (

SABA Saba may refer to: Places * Saba (island), an island of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean Sea * Sabá, a municipality in the department of Colón, Honduras * Șaba or Șaba-Târg, the Romanian name for Shabo, a village in Ukraine * Saba, ...

, 1968) *'' Catalonian Fire'' (SteepleChase, 1974) *''

Tete! ''Tete!'' is an album by pianist Tete Montoliu's Trio recorded in 1974 and released on the Danish label, SteepleChase.Tête à Tete'' (SteepleChase, 1976) *'' Tootie's Tempo'' (SteepleChase, 1976

979 Year 979 (Roman numerals, CMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. It was the 979th year of the Common Era and the Anno Domini designation, the 979th year of the 1st millennium, the 79th year of the 10th century, ...

*'' Catalonian Nights Vol. 1'' (Steeplechase, 1980

*'' Catalonian Nights Vol. 2'' (Steeplechase, 1980

*''

Catalonian Nights Vol. 3 ''Catalonian Nights Vol. 3'' is a live album by pianist Tete Montoliu recorded in Spain in 1980 and released on the Danish label SteepleChase in 1989.989 Year 989 ( CMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Emperor Basil II uses his contingent of 6,000 Varangians to help him defeat Bardas Phokas (the Younger), who suffe ...

With Don Patterson *'' These Are Soulful Days'' (

, 1973) With

Cecil Payne Cecil Payne (December 14, 1922 – November 27, 2007) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist born in Brooklyn, New York. Payne also played the alto saxophone and flute. He played with other prominent jazz musicians, in particular Dizzy Gilles ...

*''

Zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north and south celestial latitude of the ecliptic – the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. Within this zodiac ...

'' (Strata-East, 1968

973 Year 973 ( CMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Spring – The Byzantine army, led by General Melias ( Domestic of the Schools in the East), continues the op ...

With

Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (; 27 May 1946 – 19 April 2005), also known by his abbreviated nickname NHØP, was a Danish jazz double bassist. Biography Pedersen was born in Osted, near Roskilde, on the Danish island of Zealand, the son o ...

*''

Double Bass The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument, chordophone in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions ...

'' (SteepleChase, 1976) with Sam Jones With

Sonny Red Sylvester Kyner Jr. (December 17, 1932 – March 20, 1981), known as Sonny Red, was an American jazz alto saxophonist, flutist and composer associated with the hard bop idiom among other styles. Sonny Red played with Art Blakey, Curtis Fuller, ...

*'' Breezing'' (Jazzland, 1960) With George Russell *''

George Russell Sextet at Beethoven Hall ''George Russell Sextet at Beethoven Hall'' (also released as ''At Beethoven Hall - Complete Recordings'') is a 1965 live album by George Russell (composer), George Russell originally released in two volumes on the MPS Records, MPS label and fea ...

'' (MPS, 1965) With Michel Sardaby *''Night Blossom'' (DIW, 1990) With

Bud Shank Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank Jr. (May 27, 1926 – April 2, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and thro ...

*'' That Old Feeling'' (Contemporary, 1986) With

*'' Little Girl Blue'' (

Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...

, 1958) *''

Nina Simone and Her Friends ''Nina Simone and Her Friends'' is an album released in 1960 by the Bethlehem Records label, that compiled songs by jazz singers Nina Simone, Carmen McRae and Chris Connor. All three artists had left the label and signed with other companies by ...

'' (Bethlehem, 1959) With

Les Spann Leslie Spann Jr. (May 23, 1932 – January 24, 1989) was an American jazz guitarist and flautist. As a sideman he recorded with Nat Adderley, Benny Bailey, Bill Coleman, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Curtis Fuller, Red Garland, Benny Goodman, Sam ...

*''

Gemini Gemini most often refers to: * Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac * Gemini (astrology), an astrological sign Gemini may also refer to: Science and technology Space * Gemini in Chinese astronomy, the Gemini constellat ...

'' (Jazzland, 1961) With

Billy Taylor Billy Taylor (July 24, 1921 – December 28, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and from 1994 was the a ...

*'' Billy Taylor with Four Flutes'' (Riverside, 1959) With

*'' Chun-King'' (Prestige, 1964) With

Mal Waldron Malcolm Earl "Mal" Waldron (August 16, 1925 – December 2, 2002) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He started playing professionally in New York in 1950, after graduating from college. In the following dozen years or so Wa ...

*''

Impressions An impression is the overall effect of something. Impression or impressions may also refer to: Biology * Colic impression, a feature of the gall bladder * Duodenal impression, medial to the renal impression * Gastric impression, a feature of th ...

'' (New Jazz, 1959) With

*''

Soul Cycle ''Soul Cycle'' is an album by pianist Cedar Walton, which was recorded in 1969 and released on the Prestige label.The Young Lions Young Lions may refer to: Music, film, and print * ''Young Lions'' (album), a 1990 album by Adrian Belew * ''Young Lions'' (TV series), a 2002 Australian police drama * ''Young Lions'' (book), a 2010 graphic novel by Blaise Larmee * ''The Young ...

*''

The Young Lions Young Lions may refer to: Music, film, and print * ''Young Lions'' (album), a 1990 album by Adrian Belew * ''Young Lions'' (TV series), a 2002 Australian police drama * ''Young Lions'' (book), a 2010 graphic novel by Blaise Larmee * ''The Young ...

'' (Vee-Jay, 1960) With Bill Harris *''

Encompass Quartet Encompass, the Enterprise Computing Association, was the original computer user group for business customers of Hewlett-Packard. Encompass's history began with DECUS, founded in 1961, for customers of the Digital Equipment Corporation, which was a ...

'' (Daddy Jazz, 1997)

Awards and nominations

In October 2020, the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...

(NEA) announced Heath as one of four recipients of the

NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), every year honors up to seven jazz musicians with Jazz Master Awards. The National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowships are the self-proclaimed highest honors that the United States bestows upo ...

, celebrated in an online concert and show on 22 April 2021. Awarded in recognition of lifetime achievement, the honor is bestowed on individuals who have made significant contributions to the art form. The other 2021 recipients were

Terri Lyne Carrington Terri Lyne Carrington (born August 4, 1965) is an American jazz drummer, composer, producer, and educator. She has played with Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joe Sample, Al Jarreau, Yellowjackets (band), ...

Phil Schaap Philip van Noorden Schaap (April 8, 1951September 7, 2021) was an American radio host, who specialized in jazz as a broadcaster, historian, archivist, and producer. He hosted an assortment of jazz programs at WKCR and WNYC in New York City and ...

, and

Henry Threadgill Henry Threadgill (born February 15, 1944) is an American composer, saxophonist and flautist. He came to prominence in the 1970s leading ensembles rooted in jazz but with unusual instrumentation and often incorporating other genres of music. He h ...

References

External links

"Albert 'Tootie' Heath"
biography and management, Soul Patch Music.
''Brotherly Jazz''
The Heath Brothers DVD Documentary.
Tootie Heath's MySpace page
*

Ben Ratliff Ben Ratliff (born 1968 in New York City) is an American journalist, music critic and author. Biography Ratliff is the son of an English mother and an American father, growing up in London and in Rockland County, New York. From 1996 to 2016, ...

"Music in Review; Heath Brothers"
''The New York Times'', April 4, 2003.
"Interview with Albert 'Tootie' Heath"
''DTM''.
"Albert 'Tootie' Heath, Drummer Extraordinaire, Turns The Tables"
interview on ''All Things Considered'', NPR, March 14, 2015.
Albert Heath
at Tower Records. * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Heath, Albert 1935 births 2024 deaths Hard bop drummers Post-bop drummers American jazz drummers African-American drummers Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania Muse Records artists 20th-century American drummers American male drummers 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Modern Jazz Quartet members Heath Brothers members The Jazztet members Sunnyside Records artists 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American musicians Spiritual jazz musicians Deaths from leukemia in New Mexico 21st-century American drummers 21st-century American male musicians Jazz musicians from Philadelphia Drummers from Philadelphia NEA Jazz Masters