Jazz Articles about Percy Heath

Ornette Coleman: Genesis of Genius: The Contemporary Albums

by Jeff Kaliss
April 25, 2022

For many an Ornette Coleman devotee, devotion was pledged with the singular saxophonist's The Shape of Jazz to Come (Atlantic). It was recorded in May and released in November of 1959, and it's a matter of when in our life we caught up with it. For some of us, that's when we first felt liberated by jazz. That album, produced by Nesuhi Ertegun, remains a hard act to follow, even for Coleman himself. Or to precede. But “Hollywood ...

New Faces - New Sounds

by C. Michael Bailey
May 21, 2020

Jazz is littered with musicians like Elmo Hope: young, talented and, ultimately, doomed because of racism, poverty, and chemical dependency. Born in jny: New York City, the son of immigrants from the Caribbean, Hope managed to release more than a baker's dozen of studio recordings in as many years, before dying of drug addiction-related health problems in 1967 at the age of 43. Hope was primarily known as a jazz composer with a spare, deliberate piano style more akin to ...

A Remembrance of Percy Heath

by R.J. DeLuke
March 9, 2015

This article was originally published at All About Jazz in May 2005. Percy Heath could play the hell out of that big contrabass. Played it for more than half a century. With Bird and Miles and Diz and 'Trane and Brownie and the venerable Modern Jazz Quartet and on and on. And if you're reading this you know that already, probably. He played in dumps; he played R&B. Played for next to nothing. But he also ...

Elmo Hope: Trio and Quintet

by AAJ Italy Staff
February 5, 2006

Questo è uno dei pochi dischi di Elmo Hope in circolazione oggi in Italia. Un plauso alla Blue Note che l'aveva già pubblicato in CD (con identica copertina e stessi brani) 15 anni fa ed oggi lo riedita per il beneficio di chi se l'era perso.Dopo anni di totale oblio, lo sfortunato pianista e compositore bop ha avuto nel decennio scorso una certa rivalutazione critica ma dal pubblico jazz è ancora ampiamente ignorato.Un vero peccato, perché ...

Percy Heath: A Love Song

by Russ Musto
March 18, 2004

As remarkable as it may seem that this Love Song is the debut release as a leader by 80 year-old elder statesman bassman Percy Heath, it was certainly well worth the wait. Heath, who has been the quintessential supportive sideman on more than 300 recordings, most notably as a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet, steps into the spotlight here, ably assisted by his regular rhythm section mates from the Heath Brothers band, pianist Jeb Patton and drummer, brother Albert ...

Percy Heath: A Love Song

by Michael P. Gladstone
March 15, 2004

Being a little late to hop on the bandwagon about last month's release of this first album from Percy Heath, I would like to avoid giving you more of the plaudits of Heath's magnificent career and accomplishments that you've already read, and simply offer my congratulations upon this effort.

The music on A Love Song can stand by itself. Heath has contributed four of the seven tracks, with one from the late Roland Hanna, one from John Lewis, ...

Percy Heath: A Love Song

by Jerry D'Souza
March 1, 2004

What would life be without its little surprises? Did bassist Percy Heath ever conceive the notion that he would get his first recording as leader 50 years into his career? Ah, the vagaries of fate! But this is a moment to savour and to enjoy. Heath got to choose the songs, and the band at hand has an uncanny understanding. The music is sublime; there is no over heated ardour at work, just a quiet fire which kindles the flame ...