Happy 90th Birthday Jimmy Heath

[Cyril]

 

[Cyril]

That was last year........  Today, Jimmy turns 91.  Happy Birthday Jimmy Heath !!!

[Justin V]

Happy Birthday, Mr. Heath!  

[mjzee]

Happy, happy birthday to the great saxophonist, composer and arranger!

[Hardbopjazz]

Happy 91 Mr. Jimmy Heath. One of my all time favorite people. 

He looks the same.

[mandrill]

Happy Birthday, indeed, Mr. Heath. Will play "On the Trail" tonight in your honor, sir.

Which brings me to a question: who is the oldest of the known jazz musicians still living. Roy Haynes, perhaps? 92+ and was still performing up to the last year at least.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Is Jimmy still performing? He hasn't been up to Boston in a long time.

[Hardbopjazz]

Jimmy is still performing. He recent did a concert with Benny Golson.  

[Kevin Bresnahan]

2 hours ago, Hardbopjazz said:

Jimmy is still performing. He recent did a concert with Benny Golson.  

Golson is playing at Scullers in Boston next month. He hasn't been through Boston in a long time either. I have my ticket.

I would guess that it's been over a decade since Jimmy's been through. He used to come to town once a year, usually with his brothers. I wonder if Percy's death put an end to his touring days? The last time I saw him, he still brought down the house.

[Dmitry]

Kevin, Golson will do more talking than playing. I don't think his chops allow for blowing much any more. Jimmy Heath still does it. Saw him a few months ago in that Sonny Rollins tribute concert I wrote about, and he did as well, or better than any ninety-year old out there.

[Milestones]

Randy Weston is another great musician who is past 90 and still performing.

[Cyril]

Eugene Wright is born May 29, 1923.

Tony Bennett is 91 and still performing.

Lou Donaldson almost 91.  

Edited October 26, 2017 by Cyril

[Mark Stryker]

7 hours ago, Dmitry said:

Kevin, Golson will do more talking than playing. I don't think his chops allow for blowing much any more. Jimmy Heath still does it. Saw him a few months ago in that Sonny Rollins tribute concert I wrote about, and he did as well, or better than any ninety-year old out there.

Benny has ALWAYS talked a lot, but I heard him in early September and he was in great form. Yeah, shorter solos than he played in the past, but he's still putting air through the horn and the ideas were creative and spontaneous. Lots of ways to define jazz, but one that never goes out of style is Benny Golson playing his own songbook.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

On 10/26/2017 at 9:12 AM, Dmitry said:

Kevin, Golson will do more talking than playing. I don't think his chops allow for blowing much any more. Jimmy Heath still does it. Saw him a few months ago in that Sonny Rollins tribute concert I wrote about, and he did as well, or better than any ninety-year old out there.

Benny certainly talked much more than I remember from his last visits. He did ramble a bit too much... they ended up only being able to play 5 songs in a 70 minute set. But when he played, he still had it. I think his wife is right.