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Percy Heath | |
|---|---|
 Heath in New York City, 1977 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (1923-04-30)April 30, 1923 |
| Died | April 28, 2005(2005-04-28) (aged 81) Southampton, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Double bass |
| Years active | 1940s–2003 |
| Formerly of | |
| Relatives |
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Percy Heath (April 30, 1923[1] – April 28, 2005)[2] was an Americanjazz bassist, brother of saxophonistJimmy Heath and drummerAlbert Heath, with whom he formed theHeath Brothers in 1975. Heath played with theModern Jazz Quartet throughout their long history and also worked withMiles Davis,Dizzy Gillespie,Charlie Parker,Wes Montgomery,Thelonious Monk andLee Konitz.
Heath was born inWilmington, North Carolina, United States, and spent his childhood inPhiladelphia.[1] His father played theclarinet and his mother sang in the church choir. He started playingviolin at the age of eight and also sang locally. He was drafted into theArmy in 1944, trained with theTuskegee Airmen, graduating as a 2nd Lieutenant pilot,[3] but saw no combat.[2]
Deciding after the war to go into music, he bought a stand-up bass and enrolled in theGranoff School of Music in Philadelphia.[2] Soon he was playing in the city's jazz clubs with leading artists.[1] In Chicago in 1948, he recorded with his brother on aMilt Jackson album, as members of theHoward McGhee Sextet.[1][4] After moving to New York in the late 1940s, Percy and Jimmy Heath found work withDizzy Gillespie's groups.[2] Around this time, Percy was also a member ofJoe Morris's band, together withJohnny Griffin.
It transpired that other members of the Gillespiebig band, pianistJohn Lewis, drummerKenny Clarke, Milt Jackson, and bassistRay Brown, decided to form a permanent group; they were already becoming known for their interludes during Gillespie band performances that, as AllMusic.com stated, gave the rest of the band much-needed set breaks – that would eventually become known as theModern Jazz Quartet (MJQ).[1] When Brown left the group to join his wifeElla Fitzgerald's band, Heath joined and the group was officially begun in 1952, withConnie Kay replacing Clarke, who left in January 1955. The MJQ played regularly until it disbanded in 1974;[2] it reformed in 1981 and last recorded in 1993.
In 1975, Percy Heath and his brothers formed theHeath Brothers with pianistStanley Cowell.[1] Percy would sometimes play thecello instead of the bass in these later performances.
As a sideman, he performed on approximately 300 recording dates in a career of more than 57 years.[5]
In 1989, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Music fromBerklee College of Music.[6]
In 2003, at the age of 80, Heath released his first album as a leader through the Daddy Jazz label.[2] The album, entitledA Love Song, garnered rave reviews and served as a fitting coda for his illustrious career. It featured brother Albert Heath on drums, bassistPeter Washington and pianist Jeb Patton.[7]
Percy Heath died, after a second bout withbone cancer, two days short of his 82nd birthday, inSouthampton, New York.[2] The month after his death, bassistWilliam Parker recorded the tribute albumFor Percy Heath.
Heath was an avid striped bass fisherman, and surfcaster, who could be found on many a day, along the surf line of his belovedMontauk Point. He was well respected by the community, and his fellow fishermen. He also relished time away from the stage on his fishing boat, appropriately named "The Fiddler", kept in Montauk as well. On May 27, 2006, a plaque was set into a 5,000lb stone, at Turtle Cove, at Montauk Point, as a memorial. The ceremony was attended by his wife, June, and three sons.[8]
WithNat Adderley
WithPaul Bley
WithClifford Brown
WithRuth Brown
WithKenny Clarke
WithMiles Davis
WithPaul Desmond
WithArt Farmer
WithStan Getz
WithDizzy Gillespie
WithBenny Golson
WithDexter Gordon
WithUrbie Green
WithAlbert Heath
WithJimmy Heath
WithElmo Hope
WithMilt Jackson
WithJ. J. Johnson
WithDuke Jordan
WithJohn Lewis
WithHoward McGhee
WithWes Montgomery
WithSonny Rollins
WithMichel Sardaby
WithZoot Sims
WithKai Winding
