Heath Brothers - In Motion

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:53
Size: 88,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:06) 1. Feelin' Deelin'
(4:23) 2. The Voice Of The Saxophone
(6:44) 3. Project 'S'
(6:47) 4. Move To Groove
(5:28) 5. Passion Flower
(7:23) 6. (There's) A Time And A Place

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 Jimmy's son Mtume (percussion) joined the group later. Tootie left in 1978, and was replaced by Akira Tana for a short period before returning in 1982. They also added other sidemen for some of their recording dates. The group issued four singles between 1978 and 1981, "Mellowdrama", "For the Public", "Use it (Don't abuse it)" and "Dreamin'". "Dreamin'", a track from the 1980 LP, "Expressions of Life", had the most airplay in the UK despite not reaching the UK charts.

The group with just two of the brothers, Jimmy and Tootie, and additional sidemen as needed, continued to perform and record after Percy died in 2004. The DVD, Brotherly Jazz: The Heath Brothers, recorded in 2004, shortly before Percy's death, was one of the last times the three brothers played together and chronicled the brothers' personal lives as well as socio-political issues many jazz musicians dealt with in the later 20th century, including jail, drugs, discrimination and segregation. The 2009 CD Endurance was the first without Percy, and features seven original numbers by Jimmy, including "From a Lonely Bass", composed in memory of his late brother. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heath_Brothers

The Heath Brothers: Jimmy Heath (tenor saxophone); Percy Heath (bass); Albert "Tootie" Heath (drums); Stanley Cowell (piano); Tony Purrone (guitar).

In Motion

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Heath Brothers - As We Were Saying

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:18
Size: 136,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:21) 1. The Newest One
(7:15) 2. Bop Again
(4:49) 3. For Seven's Sake
(3:32) 4. South Filthy
(7:41) 5. I'm Glad There Is You
(6:09) 6. Dave's Haze
(6:48) 7. DayDream
(8:23) 8. Nostalgia
(8:19) 9. This Is What It Is

Oh man. Does this swing from the get-go, or what? And such a deal. Not only do you get the three Heath brothers: Jimmy on tenor and alto, Percy on bass and cello, and Al ("Tootie") drums, but they’re joined by the one and only Slide Hampton on ‘bone, Stanley Cowell on piano and kalimba, Sir Roland Hanna on piano, Jon Faddis on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Mark Elf on guitar. Plus James Mtume, Jimmy’s son, on percussion.Need I say more? Just look at the CV’s on these guys. The brothers have played with a hall of fame’s worth of masters: Dizzy, Monk, Miles, Trane, the MJQ, on and on and on. Let’s not slight Herbie Hancock, Yusef Lateef, J. J. Johnson, and even, by way of Mtume, electric-funk Miles. This thing charges out of the gate with the delightful "The Newest One," featuring brief but potent solos from Faddis and Hampton, followed by Sir Roland on piano and Jimmy on tenor sounding like they invented jazz and own all the patents. Next time the kids come by with their Counting Crows and Smashing Pumpkins discs, show them what real music sounds like with "Bop Agin," the second track. Yep, everybody plays excellently. Mark Elf wraps things up with a guitar solo and bar-swap with Jimmy that’s sunny but a trifle pro-forma; Elf isn’t a legend, but at this point, who’s counting?

"For Seven’s Sake" is a Coltrane-ish, spiritual number (not to say these guys are derivative. Coltrane probably got the idea from them), more introverted and serious than the first two, with some affecting work by Cowell on kalimba. "South Filthy" is a tribute to the Heath brothers’ lovely home town, featuring the brothers in a jaunty mood joined only by Mtume’s triangle. Jimmy’s horn here is hypnotically assured. It’s really something to hear his complete command of his instrument, a command unmatched by altogether too many younger players. The listener can tell here what it means to perfect a craft over fifty years. Check out his work solo on Jimmy Dorsey’s "I’m Glad There Is You." To borrow a phrase, it’s like watching Michelangelo sculpt.

The other two brothers hold up their end. Percy shines on Fats Navarro’s "Nostalgia" and "Dave’s Haze," another bright number featuring Elf turning in a fine blues line backed up by the solid rock of Percy and Al. The final track is called "This Is What It Is," and no better title could be found for the whole album. Inquirers into jazz should be directly referred to this CD: this is what it is. These three and their sidemen played a large part in making it what it is, and here is a little sampler of what they do with the experience they’ve amassed and the mastery they’ve achieved.

The album is actually called As We Were Saying..., which I take to be a reference to the fact that the brothers haven’t played together since 1983 (They were interrupted by the MJQ and scads of other activity). I’m sorry for the interruptions, but it seems clear that what the brothers have gained in all their years of separate activity is the beautiful ease and control that enriches this disc.~Robert Spencer https://www.allaboutjazz.com/as-we-were-saying-concord-music-group-review-by-robert-spencer.php

Personnel: Acoustic Bass, Cello [Jazz Cello] – Percy Heath; Drums, Percussion – Albert "Tootie" Heath; Guitar – Mark Elf ; Piano – Sir Roland Hanna; Piano, Kalimba – Stanley Cowell; Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Jimmy Heath; Trombone – Slide Hampton; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Jon Faddis

As We Were Saying

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The Heath Brothers - Brotherly Love

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 1982
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:18
Size: 86,0 MB
Art: Front

(7:10) 1. A Sound For Sore Ears
(5:49) 2. Autumn In New York
(6:40) 3. No End
(6:53) 4. Life In The City
(6:08) 5. Homes
(4:36) 6. Rejoice

By their sixth album, the Heath Brothers (consisting of Jimmy on tenor and soprano, Percy Heath on bass, keyboardist Stanley Cowell, guitarist Tony Purrone and drummer Akira Tana) were sticking to their basic hard bop format, with an occasional poppish tune tossed in to give the group variety and possible commercial potential. This excellent set finds the band performing Kenny Dorham's "No End," "Autumn In New York," Percy's "Rejoice," and three originals by Jimmy. With eight years of constant playing, the Heath Brothers had developed into a solid working group with a sound of its own; Jimmy Heath's writing and solos gave the band its own personality. This Antilles set, which has been reissued on CD, is an excellent example of their playing.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/brotherly-love-mw0000651137

Personnel: Bass – Percy Heath; Drums – Akira Tana; Guitar – Tony Purrone; Keyboards – Stanley Cowell; Saxophone – Jimmy Heath

Brotherly Love

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The Heath Brothers - Live At The Public Theater

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:56
Size: 109,1 MB
Art: Front

(0:18) 1. Introduction by Ted Ross
(9:45) 2. A Sassy Samba
(6:40) 3. Warm Valley
(7:30) 4. Cloak And Dagger
(5:03) 5. For The Public
(7:12) 6. Watergate Blues
(9:00) 7. We Need Peace And We Need Love
(1:24) 8. Artherdoc Blues

The fourth of the Heath Brothers' seven recordings before their breakup in 1983 (they would regroup in 1997) once again puts the focus on Jimmy Heath's writing, including such originals as "A Sassy Samba" (for Sarah Vaughan), "Cloak and Dagger," and the unusual "For the Public." Along with Jimmy's tenor and soprano, the main soloists are keyboardist Stanley Cowell (who is also a master of the kalimba, the African thumb piano) and guitarist Tony Purrone. Offering tasteful support are bassist Percy Heath drummer Akira Tana, an unknown at the time, and a couple of percussionists. Unfortunately, none of the Heath Brothers' enjoyable Columbia LPs have yet been reissued on CD.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-public-theater-mw0000902996

Personnel: Double Bass [Acoustic Bass], Bass [Baby] – Percy Heath; Drums – Akira Tana; Electric Guitar – Tony Purrone; Keyboards, Kalimba – Stanley Cowell; Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Arranged By – Jimmy Heath

Live At The Public Theater

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Heath Brothers - Endurance

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:47
Size: 120.8 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[7:39] 1. Changes
[5:09] 2. Wall To Wall
[4:36] 3. You Or Me
[6:09] 4. Ballad From Leadership Suite
[6:14] 5. Dusk In The City
[4:21] 6. Two Tees
[7:42] 7. Autumn In New York
[3:22] 8. From A Lonely Bass
[7:31] 9. The Rio Dawn

Jimmy Heath: tenor, soprano sax; Jeb Patton: piano; David Wong: bass; Albert "Tootie" Heath: drums; Claudio Roditi: shaker (9).

The Heath family is illustrious in jazz. Percy and Jimmy got their starts in the late forties, a part of the emerging jazz scene in New York. The oldest, Percy on bass, became part of the Modern Jazz Quartet in 1952 and stayed with the legendary group for over forty years. Jimmy on reeds, meanwhile, has led and performed with the greats over the years. He has a substantial reputation as composer, arranger and educator. Albert "Tootie," several years the youngest, has established a reputation as a peerless drummer and educator.

The three have worked together as a group for over twenty years, making seven recordings together, with pianist Jeb Patton the fourth cog in recent years. When Percy died in 2005, the brothers decided to carry on, bringing in bassist David Wong. Endurance is the first without Percy, and endurance is certainly the keyword in describing the Heath Brothers.

Seven of the nine numbers here are originals by Jimmy. Each player gets many opportunities to shine. Beginning with "Changes," Jimmy's straight-ahead assertive tenor takes charge. Next, on "Wall to Wall," Tootie's drums and Patton's piano combine for some funky rhythmic fun at the onset, followed by Jimmy's rocking tenor solo. Wong's bass stars on "You and Me," sharing the stage with Tootie's spiffy brush work. Jimmy gets serious with the spiritual "Ballad for Leadership Suite," an impressive segment from his commission for the inauguration of the president of Howard University. He dedicates "Two Tees" to Tootie, who gets plenty of room to stretch in his drum solo, with Patton coming in for a romping turn on piano. Jimmy composed "From a Lonely Bass" as a memoriam to the Late Percy. Wong's bowed bass provides emotional warmth, assisted by Jimmy's elegiac soprano sax. Perhaps most effective is the group's lush rendering of Vernon Duke's 1934 standard, "Autumn in New York." Here, Jimmy shows his debt to Coleman Hawkins with his breathy tenor probing all aspects of the tune. ~Larry Taylor

Endurance mc
Endurance zippy

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