James Edward Heath, who was nicknamed Little Bird, was born on October 25, 1926, and died on January 19, 2020. He was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader. He was the brother of Percy Heath, a bassist, and Albert Heath, a drummer.

Biography

Heath was born in Philadelphia on October 25, 1926. His father was an auto mechanic who played the clarinet and performed on weekends. His mother sang in a church choir. The family often listened to recordings of big band jazz at home. Heath’s sister played the piano, and his brothers were Percy Heath, a bassist, and Albert Heath, a drummer.

During World War II, Heath was not allowed to join the military because he weighed less than the required minimum.

Heath first played the alto saxophone. He earned the nickname "Little Bird" after working with Howard McGhee and Dizzy Gillespie in the late 1940s. His music showed the influence of Charlie Parker, who was called "Bird." Later, Heath switched to playing the tenor saxophone.

From late 1945 until most of 1946, Heath performed with the Nat Towles band. In 1946, he started his own band, which became a regular part of the Philadelphia jazz scene until 1949. His band included musicians such as John Coltrane, Benny Golson, Specs Wright, Cal Massey, Johnny Coles, Ray Bryant, and Nelson Boyd. Charlie Parker and Max Roach joined the band for one performance. The group played at venues like the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Heath recalls that the band recorded some demos on acetate, but no official recordings were released. The band’s music was lost at a train station in Chicago. The band ended in 1949 so Heath could join Dizzy Gillespie’s band.

Heath was arrested twice for selling heroin and was an admitted drug user. In the spring of 1954, he was sent to the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, where many musicians and celebrities received treatment. After being released, he was arrested again in early 1955 and served most of a six-year prison sentence in Lewisburg. While in prison, he stopped using drugs and spent much of his time making music. During his time in prison, he composed most of the songs on the 1956 album Playboys by Chet Baker and Art Pepper. He was released on May 21, 1959, and stayed drug-free for the rest of his life.

In 1959, Heath briefly joined Miles Davis’s group, replacing John Coltrane. He also worked with Kenny Dorham and Gil Evans. Heath recorded many songs as a leader and as part of other musicians’ groups. During the 1960s, he often performed with Milt Jackson and Art Farmer.

In 1975, Heath and his brothers formed a group called the Heath Brothers, which included pianist Stanley Cowell.

Jimmy Heath composed songs such as "For Minors Only," "Picture of Heath," "Bruh' Slim," and "CTA." These songs were recorded on his 1975 album Picture of Heath.

In the 1980s, Heath taught at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, part of the City University of New York. As a professor, he helped create the Jazz Program at Queens College and brought famous musicians like Donald Byrd to the campus. He also worked on the board of the Louis Armstrong Archives and helped restore and manage the Louis and Lucille Armstrong Residence in Corona, Queens, near his home. He taught at Queens College for more than 20 years and also taught at Jazzmobile.

Personal life

After his release from Lewisburg Penitentiary, he attended a welcome home party the following night, where he met his future wife, Mona Brown. They married in 1960 and had two children, Roslyn and Jeffrey.

Heath was the father of R&B songwriter and musician James Mtume.

In 2010, his autobiography titled I Walked With Giants was published by Temple University Press. Heath was 5 feet, 3 inches tall.

He performed in a jazz concert at the White House, where President Bill Clinton borrowed his saxophone for one musical piece.

Heath passed away on January 19, 2020, in Loganville, Georgia, due to natural causes.

Awards and legacy

He received a Grammy nomination for writing notes included in a special collection of albums titled The Heavyweight Champion, John Coltrane, the Complete Atlantic Recordings (Rhino, 1995). He also received Grammy nominations for Little Man Big Band (Verve, 1994) and Live at the Public Theatre with The Heath Brothers (Columbia, 1980).

Heath was honored with the 2003 NEA Jazz Masters Award. In 2004, he received an honorary doctorate degree in Human Letters.

He worked on more than 100 albums and wrote over 125 musical pieces. Many of these compositions are now considered jazz standards, performed by artists such as Art Farmer, Cannonball Adderley, Clark Terry, Chet Baker, Miles Davis, James Moody, Milt Jackson, Ahmad Jamal, Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, J. J. Johnson, and Dexter Gordon. Heath also created suites, string quartets, and a symphony titled Three Ears, which was first performed in 1988 at Queens College with Maurice Peress conducting.

Books

Heath, Jimmy and McLaren, Joseph (2010). I Walked With Giants: The Life Story of Jimmy Heath. Temple University Press. ISBN 978-1-4399-0198-4.

Discography

• 1959: The Thumper (Riverside, 1960)
• 1960: Really Big! (Riverside, 1960)
• 1961: The Quota (Riverside, 1961)
• 1962: Triple Threat (Riverside, 1962)
• 1963: Swamp Seed (Riverside, 1963)
• 1964: Fast Company (Milestone, 1975) [2LP]
• 1964: On the Trail (Riverside, 1964)
• 1965: Jam Gems: Live at the Left Bank with Freddie Hubbard (Label M, 2001) – Live
• 1972: The Gap Sealer (Cobblestone, 1973) – also released as Jimmy (Muse, 1979)
• 1973: Love and Understanding (Muse, 1973)
• 1974: The Time and the Place (Landmark, 1994)
• 1975: Picture of Heath (Xanadu, 1975)
• 1985: New Picture (Landmark, 1985)
• 1987: Peer Pleasure (Landmark, 1987)
• 1991: You've Changed (SteepleChase, 1992)
• 1992: Little Man Big Band (Verve, 1992)
• 1995: You or Me (SteepleChase, 1995)
• 2004, 06: Turn Up the Heath (Planet Arts, 2006)
• 2007, 10: Endless Search (Origin, 2010)
• 2011: Togetherness: Live at the Blue Note (Jazz Legacy Productions, 2013) – Live
• 2020?: Love Letter (Impulse!, 2020)

• Nice People – The Riverside Collection (Original Jazz Classics) – recorded 1959 to 1964

With the Heath Brothers

• Marchin' On (Strata-East, 1975)
• Passin' Thru (Columbia, 1978)
• Live at the Public Theatre (Columbia, 1979)
• In Motion (Columbia, 1979)
• Expressions of Life (Columbia, 1980)
• Brotherly Love (Antilles, 1981)
• Brothers and Others (Antilles, 1981)
• As We Were Saying (Concord, 1997)
• Jazz Family (Concord, 1998)
• Endurance (Jazz Legacy Productions, 2009)