Albert Tootie Heath

The younger brother of <a href="spotify:artist:0vKbTTNdtagd8xiERj6Szb">Percy</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:5GX8UFlG4vXVXDv8KqDLvk">Jimmy Heath</a>, Albert "Tootie" Heath has long been a top hard bop-based drummer with an open mind toward more commercial styles of jazz. After moving to New York (1957), he debuted on record with <a href="spotify:artist:2hGh5VOeeqimQFxqXvfCUf">John Coltrane</a>. Heath was with <a href="spotify:artist:3hZ5sdhYTvgrmXIwtVwqmS">J.J. Johnson</a>'s group (1958-1960) and <a href="spotify:artist:5UcG54gQNXx1eSimiKqcfl">the Jazztet</a> (1960-1961), worked with the trios of <a href="spotify:artist:7DCTgrI6aDK3nBRZm5RUKT">Cedar Walton</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0xRqtLGIVSzXM9yg2wFMLC">Bobby Timmons</a> in 1961, and recorded many records as a sideman for Riverside during that era. He lived in Europe in 1965-1968 (working frequently with <a href="spotify:artist:65uKPt40QH8dMBLuoJHPVY">Kenny Drew</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3NUsiT2JSyaWAnWaXxDzhQ">Dexter Gordon</a>, and backing touring Americans), and, after returning to the U.S., he played regularly with <a href="spotify:artist:2ZvrvbQNrHKwjT7qfGFFUW">Herbie Hancock</a>'s sextet (1968-1969) and <a href="spotify:artist:33XkS6h90eeK7e6OJHw0mq">Yusef Lateef</a> (1970-1974). After an additional year in Europe, he joined <a href="spotify:artist:4Upg1zg8csdQLH7ut8W3cO">the Heath Brothers</a> band (1975-1978) and then settled in Los Angeles, where Tootie Heath continued freelancing, recording with the Riverside Reunion Band. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi