Albert Heath


Albert "Tootie" Heath was an American jazz hard bop drummer, the brother of tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath and the double-bassist Percy Heath. With Stanley Cowell, the Heaths formed the Heath Brothers jazz band in 1975.

Life and career

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States on May 31 1935, he first recorded in 1957 with John Coltrane. From 1958 to 1974, he worked with, among others, J. J. Johnson, Wes Montgomery, Art Farmer and Benny Golson's Jazztet, Cedar Walton, Bobby Timmons, Kenny Drew, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin, Herbie Hancock, Friedrich Gulda, Nina Simone, and Yusef Lateef. In 1975, he, Jimmy and Percy formed the Heath Brothers. 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.
Heath was later the producer and leader of The Whole Drum Truth, a jazz drum ensemble featuring Ben Riley, Ed Thigpen, Jackie Williams, Billy Hart, Charlie Persip, Leroy Williams and Louis Hayes.
Albert Heath died of leukemia in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on April 3, 2024, at the age of 88.

Discography

As leader

As sideman

With Kenny Barron
With Walter Benton
With Anthony Braxton
With George Cables
With the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band
With John Coltrane
With Ted Curson
With Kenny Dorham
With Kenny Drew
With Art Farmer
With Benny Golson
With Dexter Gordon
With Bennie Green and Gene Ammons
With Johnny Griffin
With Herbie Hancock
With Jimmy Heath
With Milt Jackson
With J. J. Johnson
With Clifford Jordan
With Yusef Lateef
With Johnny Lytle
With Roberto MagrisMorgan Rewind: A Tribute to Lee Morgan Vol. 1 One [Night in with Hope and More Vol. 1] One Night in with Hope and More Vol. 2
With Guido Manusardi
  • Trio de Jazz
With Warne Marsh
With Ronnie Mathews
With Charles McPherson
With Blue Mitchell
With Roscoe Mitchell
With Wes Montgomery
With Tete Montoliu
With Don Patterson
With Cecil Payne
With Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
With Sonny Red
With George Russell
With Michel Sardaby
  • Night Blossom
With Bud Shank
With Nina Simone
With Les Spann
With Billy Taylor
With Bobby Timmons
With Mal Waldron
With Cedar Walton
With The Young Lions
With Bill Harris

Awards and nominations

In October 2020, the National Endowment for the Arts announced Heath as one of four recipients of the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships, 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, Phil Schaap, and Henry Threadgill.