Percy Heath - R.I.P.

[Valerie]

gone from our midst.

[robin bell]

Originally Posted by Valerie

gone from our midst.

how sad is that!! saw him not too long ago with his brothers at the iridium.
thanks for letting us know.

[Lois Gilbert]

I would say one of my closest musical friends If I can dig it out, I'll put up a special program I did with him and Jimmy years ago when I was on RVR.

Although I haven't seen him in about 2 years.

I can't post anymore right now... tears are flooding

[Mike Schwartz]

Oh my...a year after the 80 year old Grand Master released his first CD as a leader.

The very pulse of the Modern Jazz Quartet [MJQ] for 40+ years

He also had the most fantastic smile on his face on each and every occassion that I saw him in person.

Warmest wishes to Jimmy and Albert "Tootie" and those closest left behind to carry on.

[Gary Sisco]

Oh, man. A real artist and consummate musician. Cat had nothing but class. RIP, Mr Heath.

[dizmonk]

damn....

[Captain Hate]

People that saw the Heath Brothers last week told me Percy didn't play; knew he wasn't in the best of shape but had no idea this would be so soon. RIP.

[burning dog]

RIP - Percy Heath - A legend

[jazzy mary]

This is sad. Percy Heath was one of my all-time favorite bassists!! I just loved him!! I was lucky enough to see the Heath Bros. together twice--once at the VV and once at Iridium.

[Gentle Giant]

I don't have a lot of his music, though I respect him greatly, and maybe that's why I don't feel all that sad. Rather, I feel admiration that a man with such talent and class held out for four score years and left a lot of fans with wonderful memories. All the guys in the MJQ seemed to carry themselves with a lot of dignity, and I feel good that he went out the same way.

[Ron Thorne]

Another legend is gone, sadly.

What a class act.

RIP, Percy Heath~

[Uli]

RIP, Mr. Heath!

[kedoane]

RIP to a wonderful musician.

[Richardo Caerleoni]

Another Giant Passed

RIP

RC.

PERCY HEATH By PETER KEEPNEWS
New York Times

Published: April 29, 2005.

Percy Heath, whose forceful and buoyant bass playing anchored the Modern Jazz Quartet for its entire four-decade existence, died yesterday in Southampton, N.Y. He was 81 and lived in Montauk, on Long Island.The cause of death was bone cancer, his family said.

Mr. Heath recorded with most of the leading musicians in modern jazz, including Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman. But from the early 1950's through the middle 1970's, most of his recording activity and all of his live performances were devoted to the group known to its fans around the world as the M. J .Q.

He had been playing bass for only about four years when he became a charter member of the quartet, whose musical director was the pianist and composer John Lewis. "John told me, 'Percy, you don't know enough about what we're going to do, so you better get yourself lessons,' " Mr. Heath told the jazz critic Gary Giddins. "John's music was a challenge and I appreciated it."

Mr. Heath proved to be a quick study, mastering Mr. Lewis's sophisticated compositions and arrangements and adding an unpretentious, bluesy sensibility of his own. He rarely took a solo, and his role in the quartet by its very nature drew less attention than the work of Mr. Lewis and the vibraphonist Milt Jackson. But his contributions were no less essential to the group's distinctive sound, or to its remarkable longevity and success.
Percy Heath was born on April 30, 1923, in Wilmington, N.C., and grew up in Philadelphia. His father was an amateur clarinetist and his mother sang in a church choir. He and his two younger brothers all became interested in music early in life.

All three Heath brothers went on to become professional musicians, and eventually they worked together. Mr. Heath took up the bass relatively late in life. His first instrument was the violin, which he studied as a child.
During World War II he served with the Army Air Corps in Alabama, where he trained as a pilot; he was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen.
Mr. Heath began playing bass as a student at the Granoff School of Music in Philadelphia in 1946.

Within a few months he was performing with local jazz bands and working as the house bassist at the Down Beat, a Philadelphia nightclub. He moved to New York City in 1947 with his brother Jimmy, a saxophonist and composer, and in 1950 they both joined Dizzy Gillespie's group.
Not long after that, Mr. Heath and three other former Gillespie sidemen - Mr. Lewis, Mr. Jackson and the drummer Kenny Clarke - formed the Modern Jazz Quartet.

The quartet stayed together from 1952 to 1974, with only one personnel change: Kenny Clarke left in 1955 and was replaced by Connie Kay. After the group disbanded temporarily, Mr. Heath began working with his brother Jimmy and his youngest brother, Albert, a drummer.

The Heath Brothers specialized in a loose, freewheeling brand of jazz that was very different from the more dignified and restrained work of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Percy was also much more prominently in the spotlight; he even played the melody line on several numbers, often on a cello tuned like a bass, which he jokingly called a "baby bass."
The Heath Brothers remained together until the Modern Jazz Quartet reunited in the early 1980's, and they continued to work together occasionally over the next two decades during the quartet's hiatuses. The group recorded albums for the Columbia, Concord, Antilles and Strata East labels.

Percy Heath remained the backbone of the reunited Modern Jazz Quartet for the rest of its existence. He was briefly joined there by his brother Albert, who became the group's drummer after Kay died in 1994. But Percy finally decided he had had enough of the grueling life of a traveling musician. When he announced that he was through with touring, rather than replace him, the other members of the group decided to shut it down, quietly and without fanfare. The Modern Jazz Quartet never performed again. Jackson died in 1999, Lewis in 2001.

In recent years Mr. Heath continued to perform occasionally with his brothers, but he spent most of his time at his house in Montauk, where he devoted himself to fishing. He carried a rod when touring with the Modern Jazz Quartet. "I made a living," he once said, "to go fishing."
Mr. Heath's survivors include his wife, June; his sons Percy III, Jason and Stuart; and his two brothers.

More than half a century after he first entered a recording studio, Mr. Heath - who by his own count had played on more than 300 records - did something he had never done before. In 2004, shortly before his 81st birthday, the small Daddy Jazz label released an album by Mr. Heath, "A Love Song." It was his first recording as a leader.

[dex68]

Every now and then I run through my mind which of the legends are still with us, and I resently reassured myself with the thought that, "well, at least we still have Percy". He has always been at the top of my list of bassists. His main concern was always to make the whole band sound good, never to showcase himself. What a great musician he was. Thanks, Percy!

[kyrre_laastad]

this is very sad.
my condolences goes out to his friends and family, and also for all those of us who loves music.

[gonzo]

the MJQ on the flip wilson show was my first introduction to jazz, so this is a hard one. RIP percy. just got his first solo album about a week ago. it is magnificent. my prayers to his friends and family.

[JazzJunkie]

Very, very sad news. What an extraordinary musician and person he was. I recently saw some photos of a concert/workshop he did with his brothers at the U of Louisville back in October and remember thinking how amazing, and generous, it is that these older cats keep making the rounds even though you *know* they must not always feel up to par.

Peace and comfort to the Heath family and loved ones.

[HLJ]

Dug him in Milwaukee jamin with is Brother.MJQ class of Jazz.God bless his family. Going to play some MJQ tonight.Peace and all that.

[hornplayer]

I awoke to the sad news this morning... MJQ -- They're all gone now. Must be jamming in Heaven as we speak.

Rest in Peace, Percy..

Condolences to Jimmy, Tootie, and all his family and friends.

[clinthopson]

What sad news.

He was the heartbeat of the MJQ.

I saw the group at least a half dozen times and have about 20 of their records.

Now they're all gone, first Connie, then Bags, then John and now Percy.

Their music will live forever.

[Valerie]

Originally Posted by Ron Thorne

Another legend is gone, sadly.

What a class act.

RIP, Percy Heath~

What a wonderful picture. Looks pretty recent, too. Thanks so much for posting, Ron.

My heart-felt condolences go out to Percy's family and friends, and especially to his widow, sons, Jimmy and Tootie and their families.

Very sincerely,

Valerie Bishop

[groover]

The MJQ were one of the first jazz acts I was introduced to in my teens, and their refined ensemble approach is still remarkable in the jazz world. Percy was their rhythmic anchor. Another Philly-raised jazz giant gone. Vaya con dios, Percy!

[Darryl G. Thomas]

Very sad. I think he'd just released his first recording as a leader, am I correct?

You know, as a baby boomer it seems that so many of the icons I've grown up with as part of the culture are passing. They just seemed to be always there, somewhere, out "there" and when they pass it's a surprise because they felt immortal in some ways.

We're having the sad privilege of viewing the passings of giants my friends.

R.I.P.

[Lois Gilbert]

Percy Heath, Bassist of Modern Jazz Quartet, Dies at 81
By PETER KEEPNEWS

Percy Heath, whose forceful and buoyant bass playing anchored the Modern Jazz Quartet for its entire four-decade existence, died yesterday in Southampton, N.Y. He was 81 and lived in Montauk, on Long Island.

The cause of death was bone cancer, his family said.

Mr. Heath recorded with most of the leading musicians in modern jazz, including Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman. But from the early 1950's through the middle 1970's, most of his recording activity and all of his live performances were devoted to the group known to its fans around the world as the M. J .Q.

He had been playing bass for only about four years when he became a charter member of the quartet, whose musical director was the pianist and composer John Lewis. "John told me, 'Percy, you don't know enough about what we're going to do, so you better get yourself lessons,' " Mr. Heath told the jazz critic Gary Giddins. "John's music was a challenge and I appreciated it."

Mr. Heath proved to be a quick study, mastering Mr. Lewis's sophisticated compositions and arrangements and adding an unpretentious, bluesy sensibility of his own. He rarely took a solo, and his role in the quartet by its very nature drew less attention than the work of Mr. Lewis and the vibraphonist Milt Jackson. But his contributions were no less essential to the group's distinctive sound, or to its remarkable longevity and success.

Percy Heath was born on April 30, 1923, in Wilmington, N.C., and grew up in Philadelphia. His father was an amateur clarinetist and his mother sang in a church choir. He and his two younger brothers all became interested in music early in life.

All three Heath brothers went on to become professional musicians, and eventually they worked together. Mr. Heath took up the bass relatively late in life. His first instrument was the violin, which he studied as a child.

During World War II he served with the Army Air Corps in Alabama, where he trained as a pilot; he was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Mr. Heath began playing bass as a student at the Granoff School of Music in Philadelphia in 1946.

Within a few months he was performing with local jazz bands and working as the house bassist at the Down Beat, a Philadelphia nightclub. He moved to New York City in 1947 with his brother Jimmy, a saxophonist and composer, and in 1950 they both joined Dizzy Gillespie's group.

Not long after that, Mr. Heath and three other former Gillespie sidemen - Mr. Lewis, Mr. Jackson and the drummer Kenny Clarke - formed the Modern Jazz Quartet.

The quartet stayed together from 1952 to 1974, with only one personnel change: Kenny Clarke left in 1955 and was replaced by Connie Kay. After the group disbanded temporarily, Mr. Heath began working with his brother Jimmy and his youngest brother, Albert, a drummer.

The Heath Brothers specialized in a loose, freewheeling brand of jazz that was very different from the more dignified and restrained work of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Percy was also much more prominently in the spotlight; he even played the melody line on several numbers, often on a cello tuned like a bass, which he jokingly called a "baby bass."

The Heath Brothers remained together until the Modern Jazz Quartet reunited in the early 1980's, and they continued to work together occasionally over the next two decades during the quartet's hiatuses. The group recorded albums for the Columbia, Concord, Antilles and Strata East labels.

Percy Heath remained the backbone of the reunited Modern Jazz Quartet for the rest of its existence. He was briefly joined there by his brother Albert, who became the group's drummer after Kay died in 1994.

But Percy finally decided he had had enough of the grueling life of a traveling musician. When he announced that he was through with touring, rather than replace him, the other members of the group decided to shut it down, quietly and without fanfare.

The Modern Jazz Quartet never performed again. Jackson died in 1999, Lewis in 2001.

In recent years Mr. Heath continued to perform occasionally with his brothers, but he spent most of his time at his house in Montauk, where he devoted himself to fishing. He carried a rod when touring with the Modern Jazz Quartet. "I made a living," he once said, "to go fishing."

Mr. Heath's survivors include his wife, June; his sons Percy III, Jason and Stuart; and his two brothers.

More than half a century after he first entered a recording studio, Mr. Heath - who by his own count had played on more than 300 records - did something he had never done before. In 2004, shortly before his 81st birthday, the small Daddy Jazz label released an album by Mr. Heath, "A Love Song." It was his first recording as a leader.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/29/ar...rint&position=

[Dr Dave]

Another giant gone. I hope one or two young bassists might take the occasion of his passing to listen to some of Percy Heath's work. You don't have to be a big-time soloist to be a great bassist. Every jazz reference work should have a definition of the phrase "in the pocket" with Percy's picture next to it. What a great, great player.

[grove47]

I loved Percy Heath's bass playing- to me he was one of the great bass players of all time. Certainly he was one of the best bassists of the 50s and 60s. His time, sound, and note choices were impeccable. He had such a great beat and he could hook up with lots of different drummers. Two memorable recordings for me (outside the MJQ) are the 'sides' with Monk and Blakey, and the album with Cannonball and Bill Evans.

But maybe the best attribute about Mr. Heath was his unpretentious approach to excellence. He simply took care of business, then he went fishing- dig that.

I saw him perform with both The MJQ and The Heath Brothers. The latter gig was at The Jazz Workshop back in the '70s. Billy Higgins played drums and Stanley Cowell played piano, plus Jimmy and Percy. It was a long time ago, but I still recall Billy Higgins' enormous smile and Percy's sense of humor as exemplified by "The Watergate Blues".

I also met Jimmy and Percy briefly about ten years ago during The Monk Institute competition. They were very pleasant, and I got a chance to talk with Jimmy a little bit on the way out. What a blessing to be in the presence of such dedicated and innovative people.

[Lois Gilbert]

The last time I saw Percy, he said, "Hey Lo did I tell you I was moving uptown?" I said, what are you talking about Perc, you live in Montauk... He said, "Uh uh, I used to be downtown, but now that's I'm going to be 80, I moving uptown fast."

I really loved Percy Heath.

[Gary Sisco]

"I made a living to go fishing."

I'll remember that forever, coming from a family of anglers. (I caught the music bug instead but I still like to fish, though I'll never be an angler.)

How many giants at what they do would say that? So cool. My brother, who has exactly Percy's attitude, will be visiting next week and I'll have to tell him that one.

[Richardo Caerleoni]

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

"I made a living to go fishing."

I'll remember that forever, coming from a family of anglers. (I caught the music bug instead but I still like to fish, though I'll never be an angler.)

How many giants at what they do would say that? So cool. My brother, who has exactly Percy's attitude, will be visiting next week and I'll have to tell him that one.

Lois/Gary...It is a great quote...

I never met him, but one of the first records I ever bought was the MJQ and an EP (remember them!) of Percy, Monk and Art Blakey..."Blue Monk, Nutty and Work"...I think it was from Prestige, On "Esquire" in Europe... WE played it to death, trying to work out what they were doing. And that was my/our intro to jazz. That was Jazz...

Someone descibed PH as the "pivot"?

Just a total joy.

Lois...You knew him, so many regards/and much sadness, Much regret in Europe...



RC