Heath Brothers

Synopsis

On one of the Heath Brothers' last visits to London before bassist Percy's death in 2005, Alyn Shipton talked to all three of them about their collective and individual careers in jazz, introducing not only the finest albums they made together, but their discs with other musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon and Wes Montgomery.

DISC 1
Title: Bruh Slim
Artist: Jimmy Heath
Composer: Heath
Album: Triple Threat
Label Riverside
Number OJCCD 1909, Tr 2
Personnel: Jimmy Heath (tenor saxophone); Freddie Hubbard (trumpet); Julius Watkins (french horn); Cedar Walton (piano); Percy Heath (bass); Albert 'Tootie' Heath (drums). 1962

DISC 2
Title: A Love Song
Artist: Percy Heath
Composer: Heath
Album: A Love Song
Label: Daddy Jazz
Number 25543 20032, Tr 1
Personnel: Percy Heath (solo cello)

DISC 3
Title: Walking
Artist: Miles Davis
Composer: Carpenter
Album: Walkin'
Label: Prestige/OJC
Number 213-2, Tr 1
Personnel: MIles Davis (trumpet); JJ Johnson (trombone); Lucky Thompson (tenor saxophone); Horace Silver (piano); Percy Heath (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums). 29 April 1954

DISC 4
Title: Skating in Central Park
Artist: Modern Jazz Quartet
Composer: Lewis
Album: Complete Last Concert
Label: Atlantic
Number 7 81976-2 CD 2, Tr 4
Personnel: Modern Jazz Quartet: John Lewis (piano); Milt Jackson (vibraphone); Percy Heath (bass); Connie Kay (drums)
Recorded at Avery Fisher Hall, New York on November 25, 1974

DISC 5
Title: The More I See You
Artist: Jimmy Heath
Composer: Gordon, Warren
Album: Triple Threat
Label: Riverside
Number OJCCD 1909, Tr 5
Personnel: Jimmy Heath (tenor saxophone); Cedar Walton (piano); Percy Heath (bass); Albert 'Tootie' Heath (drums). 1962

DISC 6
Title: Coast to Coast
Artist: Dizzy Gillespie
Composer: Gillespie, Harding
Album: Dizzy Gillespie Story
Label: Proper
Number Properbox 30 CD 4 Tr 12
Personnel: Dizzy Gillespie, Don Slaughter, Willie Cook, Elmon Wright (trumpets); Matthew Gee, Sam Hunt, Charles Greenlea (trombones); Jimmy Heath, John Coltrane, Jesse Powell, Paul Gonsalves, Al Gibson (reeds); John Acea (piano); Floyd Smith (guitar); Al McKibbon (bass); Specs Wright (drums). 9 Jan 1950

DISC 7
Title: Nails
Artist: Jimmy Heath
Composer: Heath
Album: Really Big!
Label: Riverside
Number 30185 Tr 5
Personnel: Jimmy Heath (tenor saxophone); Julian 'Cannonball' Adderley (alto saxophone); Pat Patrick (baritone saxophone); Clark Terry (trumpet); Nat Adderley (cornet); Dick Berg (french horn); Tom McIntosh (trombone); Cedar Walton (piano); Percy Heath (bass); Albert 'Tootie' Heath (drums). June 1960

DISC 8
Title: Dewey Square
Artist: Jimmy Smith
Composer: Parker
Album: Changes
Label: Camden
Number 610862 CD 2, Tr 1
Personnel: Jimmy Heath (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Tony Purrone (guitar); Tommy Flanagan (piano); Rufus Reid (bass); Al Foster (drums). June 1985
Originally on New Picture on the Muse label

DISC 9
Title: Devilette
Artist: Dexter Gordon
Composer: Tucker
Album: The Montmartre Connection, Vol 1
Label: Black Lion
Number BLP 30102 S1, Tr 1
Personnel: Dexter Gordon (tenor saxophone); Kenny Drew (piano); NHOP (bass); Tootie Heath (drums). July 1967

DISC 10
Title: Four on Six
Artist: Wes Montgomery
Composer: Montgomery
Album: Incredible Jazz Guitar
Label: Riverside
Number 0362, Tr 4
Personnel: Wes Montgomery (guitar); Tommy Flanagan (piano); Percy Heath (bass); Tootie Heath (drums). Jan 1960

DISC 11
Title: South Filthy
Artist: The Heath Brothers
Composer: Heath
Album: As We Were Saying
Label: Concord
Number 4777-2, Tr 4
Personnel: Jimmy Heath (tenor saxophone); Percy Heath (cello); Tootie Heath (drums). 2002.

Broadcast

1. Sat 11 Apr 2009
   16:00
   BBC Radio 3