TOOTIE'S TEMPO

NOTES BY ETHAN IVERSON

Albert Heath is the youngest of three powerful jazz brothers from Philadelphia. While still a teenager he was backing up visiting New York artists like Lester Young and Thelonious Monk. After moving to New York, he was with J.J. Johnson, the Jazztet, and the Bobby Timmons trio, and for while made so many dates for Orrin Keepnews it seemed like he was house drummer for Riverside records. In the mid-sixties Tootie began the first of many extended sojourns in Europe: when living in Copenhagen was the firstcall drummer for any serious visiting Americans like Dexter Gordon and Jackie McLean. He was a crucial member of one of Herbie Hancocks first touring bands (the Hancock album The Prisoner is canonical) before joining one of Yusef Lateefs most important groups. Since moving to California in the early 70s he has played less in NYC than most of us wish, although he keeps turning up with The Heath Brothers once or twice a year. An endlessly open musician, Tootie sounds comfortable on records with Ben Webster, Anthony Braxton, and Roscoe Mitchell; his own first album Kawaida is the only studio meeting between Don Cherry and Herbie Hancock. Recently he was the founder of The Whole Drum Truth, a provocative series of concerts showcasing percussionists in solos and ensembles. Diverse resume aside, Albert Heath remains at his core a classic bebop drummer. Today he is one of the few left who learned bop from the streets, not the schools. It is a wonderful honor and responsibility for Ben and me to share the stage with him.
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A L B E R T T O O T I E H E AT H : D R U M S > E T H A N I V E R S O N : P I A N O > B E N S T R E E T: B A S S

1 THE CHARLESTON2 CHARADE3 DANUBE INCIDENT 4 STOMPIN AT THE SAVOY5 VIOLETS FOR YOUR FURS 6 THE INTIMACY OF THE BLUES 7 HOW INSENSITIVE8 FIRE WALTZ9 CUTE 10 IT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED A LONG TIME AGO 11 TOOTIES TEMPO
5:39 3:42 4:52 4:04 6:12 3:44 2:18 4:28 5:07 5:12 1:46

The Charleston Why is James P. Johnsons biggest hit hardly ever played by modern jazz musicians? It seems just right for this trio. Charade The movie is lightweight, but everyone loves Mancinis tune. This was suggested by Steve Kellam during our engagement at the Village Vanguard. Danube Incident was Bens idea. Portisheads big hit Sour Times was based on a sample from this Lalo Schfrin cue for an old episode of Mission: Impossible.
Tooties perfect performance reminds us that he has lived in Los Angeles for over 40 years.

Stompin At the Savoy is Edgar Sampsons most famous tune but he has a whole list of wonderful pieces that need more commonplace circulation. Its important
for this band to play repertoire by Afro-American pop composers. After Ben delivers a terrific solo, I begin my own improvisation with a few bars of Charlie Christian. as a leader. That same day, May 31 1957, the drummer on that date, Tootie Heath, celebrated his 22nd birthday.

Violets for Your Furs Im pretty confident Red Garland would have been the one to suggest this Matt Dennis torch song to John Coltrane for Coltranes first record
things to do, but his relaxed walking line here makes it look easy.

The Intimacy of the Blues Billy Strayhorn made a masterpiece from just a few indelible notes. Ben always says that really playing the blues is one of the hardest How Insensitive The morbid, Chopinish logic of Jobims tune remains irresistible. Tootie plays this one with just a low tom and a mallet. Fire Waltz Tootie played a lot with one of my major inspirations, Mal Waldron. Fire Waltz is familiar from the classic Eric Dolphy/Booker Little record, but Waldrons Cute The title explains itself, just a nice little duo exercise in swing. It Should Have Happened a Long Time Ago Paul Motian rarely left the Vanguard when he was working there, but one time when we were down the block

deep catalog should be mined more frequently by jazz students looking for off-center inspiration.

at Smalls he came over and stood right next to the drums. After a tune, Tootie looked up and said, unsmilingly, Is that Paul Motian hiding inside that old man? The next day Paul called me and asked about the tune we played, Dr. Jackle. Tootie played it so good, I thought he must have written it, Paul said. He seemed relieved that the tune was by Jackie McLean. Paul probably didnt want his status challenged as the greatest drummer-composer from his peer group. Since Motians death, it seems like several of his pieces are becoming standard repertoire.

Tooties Tempo When we played Shiny Stockings at the Vanguard, Tootie would say to the audience, Thats Shiny Stockings With a Thong, and then quote

The Thong Song. This isnt the only track we tried in the studio where Tooties sultry lilt outclassed us (or me, at least; Ben usually sounded pretty good) to the point that general release would provoke embarrassment. We decided to salvage this one by simply making it a drum solo. Its probably the best music on this album.
Special thanks to Billy Hart, Lorraine Gordon, Jed Eisenman, Jimmy Heath, Spike Wilner, Paul Antonell
Recorded at the Clubhouse in upstate New York in December 2012 by Daniel James Goodwin / Mixed by Pete Rende and Ben Street / Mastered by Kevin Blackler / Photography by John Rogers / Graphic design by Christopher Drukker "Tootie For President" button by Melissa Small for The Whole Drum Truth