Tenor saxist Jimmy Heath, to be 81 this Fall, is still going strong. Middle brother to the late Percy Heath, and big brother to drummer Albert “Tootie” Heath, Jimmy has played with virtually everybody from the bop generation to present day jazz men. An estimable educator and gracious to a fault, Jimmy can still hold his own with most any tenor man. He is a brilliant arranger as well as a gifted composer. Much of Jimmy’s peak recordings were made for Orrin Keepnews’ label, Riverside, so it is a special occasion when one of his most original sessions is given the classy upgrade treatment of extended liner notes and photos.
Really Big! was Heath’s second recording for Keepnews and followed a sextet session. Orrin made the decision on a limited budget in 1960 to provide Jimmy with a full tentet mini-big band to highlight Heath’s writing and arranging expertise. Heath wrote five out of the eight tracks. He was given a dream big band which included the likes of Clark Terry, Nat and Cannonball Adderley, Tom McIntosh, Tommy Flanagan or Cedar Walton on piano, and brothers Percy and Tootie to round out the rhythm section. With Heath’s original compositions and additions like On Green Dolphin Street and Bobby Timmons’ Dat Dere, we have the recipe for a winner. And a winner it was- a sure addition to the Keepnews Collection.
With brother Percy setting the opening groove to Big “P”, the session is off to a swinging start. Jimmy steps out next and we’re off to a hard boppish start. Nat Adderley then takes over and the 24 bit remastering from Fantasy’s Joe Tarantino shines. Old Fashioned Fun follows with the full group ensemble giving a mini-Basie feel.
Mona’s Mood is a ballad blues feature for Heath and he blows with a bluesy authority before the full band has their moments – especially Tom McIntosh. Timmon’s Dat Dere gets a full big band treatment, much different than the composition got when Timmons was featured with Art Blakey’s Messengers. Nails gets a Latin treatment
Green Dolphin Street gets a muted take with more Latinized feel. It’s a sign of Jimmy’s arranging skills .More big band blues follows with My Ideal, and Jimmy blows up a storm. Cedar Walton gets a nice solo here as well. The Picture of Heath is a full-blown big band blowout. An alternate version of Nails closes out the CD. Really Big! is one of the best Keepnews Collection issues and comes highly recommended to fans of big band jazz and Heath fans alike.
TrackList: Big “P”, Old Fashioned Fun, Mona’s Moods, Dat Dere, Nails, On Green Dolphin Street, My Ideal, The Picture of Heath, Nails – take 1 (bonus track)
– Jeff Krow
