Albert ‘Tootie’ Heath: 31/5/1935 – 3/4/2024

Nine years younger than his saxophonist brother Jimmy Heath, and 12 years younger than his other bassist Percy, Philadelphia-born drummer Albert ‘Tootie’ Heath had every bit as distinguished a career as his siblings.

Growing up in his hometown, he was playing with Bobby Timmons, John Coltrane and Shirley Scott before he was into his twenties. He worked with trumpeter and composer Cal Massey’s band there (Cal had previously worked with Jimmy Heath) and Tootie told me that: “I grew up listening to Jimmy. Percy’d gone to New York by the time I got into music, but Jimmy was a strong influence and my main teacher — not as a drummer — but as a musician.”

He followed his brothers to New York in 1957, and, aged 22, his first significant recording was the eponymous Prestige album John Coltrane. From there he went on to record with numerous other stars: J. J. Johnson, the Benny Golson/Art Farmer Jazztet, and Cedar Walton. He was also talent-spotted by Riverside producer Orrin Keepnews, and in 1960 he took part on the sessions for The Incredible Jazz guitar of Wes Montgomery. “I’d never played with him before," he told me, "but Orrin would put together these groups of different configurations of instrumentalists and personalities, and amid all of that, I was able to record with Wes.”

After a prolific recording and playing career in New York, he moved to Scandinavia for three years from 1965, thereafter dividing his time between Europe and the USA, until he settled in California in 1976. He saw his European years as a hugely important time. "I got to play with older people, like Don Byas and other “exiles”. I’d never got the chance to meet him in the States, but then I worked with him, and with Ben Webster, Stuff Smith, Johnny Griffin, and, of course, Dexter Gordon. I’d say coming to Europe was a wonderful opportunity and a very significant educational experience. One of the most important parts of my career."

In 1975, he joined the Heath Brothers band, with Percy and Jimmy, plus pianist Stanley Cowell. Following a full-time period together, this became a more occasional occupation, but the band continued for many years, their final album As We Were Saying (1997) containing the excellent trio track by the three of them: ‘South Filthy’. Meanwhile he played for a veritable who’s who of great musicians, including Herbie Hancock (Fat Albert Rotunda and The Prisoner), Tete Montoliu and Art Farmer.

Although he took periods away from music, he continued to work well into the 21st century and two of his most rewarding more recent albums are Tootie’s Tempo (2013) and Philadelphia Beat (2015) with Ethan Iverson and Ben Street, covering a repertoire that stretches from James P. Johnson to Lalo Schifrin, mirroring Tootie’s own wide-ranging interest in all eras of jazz.