Jimmy Heath
Jimmy Heath (born October 25, 1926 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania as James Edward Heath , nickname Little Bird ; † January 19, 2020 in Loganville , Georgia ) was an American jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer and arranger.
Live and act
Heath was a member of the Nat Towles Band from 1945-46 . He then returned to Philadelphia, where he was active as a composer and arranger for the first time. a. for John Coltrane and Benny Golson . Members of one of his first big bands were John Coltrane, Benny Golson, Specs Wright , Cal Massey , Johnny Coles , Ray Bryant and Nelson Boyd .
In 1948 he went on a European tour with his brother Percy Heath and Howard McGhee , after which he and his brother became members of Dizzy Gillespie's big band . In the early 1950s he toured with Miles Davis , JJ Johnson , Milt Jackson and Kenny Clarke . In 1961 he worked on Elmo Hope's album Homecoming! with, at the end of 1969 at Kawaida under the direction of his brother "Tootie" .
In the 1970s he founded the legendary band The Heath Brothers with his brothers Percy and Tootie . He has worked on more than a hundred albums, including seven with the Heath Brothers and twelve as a bandleader, and wrote over a hundred compositions that include a. Performed by musicians such as Art Farmer , Cannonball Adderley , Clark Terry , Chet Baker , Miles Davis, James Moody , Milt Jackson, Ahmad Jamal , Ray Charles , Dizzy Gillespie, JJ Johnson and Dexter Gordon .
In addition to jazz music, Heath also composed seven suites and two string quartets . In 1998, Maurice Peress performed his symphonic work Three Ears at Queens College . In 2011 he published his autobiography I Walked With Giants (Temple University Press), which he had written with Joseph McLaren.
Jimmy Heath died in January 2020 at the age of 93.
Honors
He was nominated for a Grammy in 1980, 1994, and 1995 , and in 2003 he was awarded the State NEA Foundation's Jazz Masters Fellowship for lifetime achievement . In 2011, Heath received the Jazz Journalists Association's Lifetime Achievement Award .
Selected discography
As a band leader
- The Thumper , 1959
- Really Big! , 1960
- The Quota , 1961
- Triple Threat , 1962
- Fast Company , 1963
- Swamp Seed , 1963
- On the Trail , 1964
- The Gap Sealer , 1972
- Jimmy , 1972
- Love and Understanding , 1973
- Time and the Place , 1974
- Picture of Heath , 1975
- Marchin 'On , 1975
- In Motion , 1979
- New Picture , 1985
- Peer Pleasure , 1987
- Little Man, Big Band , 1992
- You've Changed , 1994
- You or Me , 1995
With The Heath Brothers
As a sideman
With Miles Davis
- 1952–54: Miles Davis Volume 2 , ( Blue Note )
With Kenny Dorham
- 1953: Kenny Dorham Quintet (debut)
- 1960: Showboat (Time)
With Blue Mitchell
- 1959: Blue Soul (Riverside)
- 1962: A Sure Thing (Riverside)
With Donald Byrd
- 1964: Up with Donald Byrd (Verve)
- With Charles Earland
- 1970: Black Drops (Prestige)
Filmography
- Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool , documentary, director: Stanley Nelson Jr., USA, 2019.
Web links
- Official Homepage (English)
- Jimmy Heath at Discogs (English)
- Jimmy Heath in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Jimmy Heath on All About Jazz
obituary
- Jimmy Heath, 93, jazz saxophonist and composer, Is Dead. In: The New York Times, January 19, 2020.
Last appearances
- Jimmy Heath feat. by WDR BIG BAND - Without You No Me on: YouTube from 2016.
- Jimmy Heath & WDR BIG BAND - Bruh Slim on: YouTube from 2014.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Saxophone legend Jimmy Heath has died .
- ↑ Information at EJazzNews ( Memento from June 15, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Heath, Jimmy |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Heath, James Edward (maiden name); Little Bird (nickname) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer and arranger |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 25, 1926 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Philadelphia , Pennsylvania |
| DATE OF DEATH | 19th January 2020 |
| Place of death | Loganville , Georgia |