Jimmy Heath

James Edward Heath (born October 25, 1926), nicknamed Little Bird, is an American jazz saxophonist, composer and arranger. He is the brother of bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert Heath.

Biography
Jimmy originally played alto saxophone but after the influence of Charlie Parker on his work for Howard McGhee and Dizzy Gillespie in the late 1940s, he earned the nickname "Little Bird" (Parker's nickname was Bird) and he switched to tenor sax.

He briefly joined Miles Davis's group in 1959, replacing John Coltrane, and also worked with Kenny Dorham and Gil Evans. He recorded extensively as leader and sideman. During the 1960s, he frequently worked with Milt Jackson and Art Farmer.

In 1975, he and his brothers formed the Heath Brothers, also featuring pianist Stanley Cowell.

Heath composed most of the 1956 Chet Baker and Art Pepper album Playboys.

In the 1980s, he joined the faculty of the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College in the City University of New York. With the rank of Professor, he led the creation of the Jazz Program at Queens College and attracted prominent musicians such as Donald Byrd to the campus. He also served on the Board of the Louis Armstrong Archives on campus, and the restoration and management of the Louis and Lucille Armstrong Residence in Corona, Queens, near his own home. In addition to teaching at Queens College for over twenty years, he has also taught at Jazzmobile. Heath was a recipient of the 2003 NEA Jazz Masters Award. In 2004, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Human Letters.

Heath is the father of R&B songwriter/musician James Mtume.

As leader

 * 1959: The Thumper (Riverside)
 * 1960: Really Big! (Riverside)
 * 1961: The Quota (Riverside)
 * 1962: Triple Threat (Riverside)
 * 1963: Swamp Seed (Riverside)
 * 1964: On the Trail (Riverside)
 * 1972: The Gap Sealer (Cobblestone Records)
 * 1972: Jimmy (Muse Records)
 * 1973: Love and Understanding (Xanadu Records)
 * 1974: Time and the Place (Landmark Records)
 * 1975: Picture of Heath (Xanadu Records)
 * 1975: Marchin' On (Strata East Records)
 * 1979: In Motion (Columbia Records)
 * 1985: New Picture (Landmark Records)
 * 1987: Peer Pleasure (Landmark Records)
 * 1992: Little Man, Big Band (Verve Records)
 * 1994: You've Changed (Steeplechase Records)
 * 1995: You or Me (Steeplechase Records)
 * 2006: Turn Up the Heath (Planet Arts Recordings)
 * 2009: Endurance (Jazz Legacy Productions)

As sideman
With Continuum
 * 1948: Howard McGhee – The Howard McGhee Sextet with Milt Jackson
 * 1959: Blue Mitchell – Blue Soul (Riverside)
 * 1960: Julian Priester - Keep Swingin' (Riverside)
 * 1960: Sam Jones - The Soul Society (Riverside)
 * 1960: Nat Adderley – That's Right! (Riverside)
 * 1960: Kenny Dorham – Show Boat (Time)
 * 1961: Milt Jackson – Vibrations (Atlantic)
 * 1961: Elmo Hope - Homecoming! (Riverside)
 * 1962: Blue Mitchell – A Sure Thing (Riverside)
 * 1962: Curtis Fuller – Soul Trombone (Impulse!)
 * 1962: Milt Jackson – Big Bags (Riverside)
 * 1962: Milt Jackson – Invitation (Riverside)
 * 1962: Pony Poindexter – Pony's Express
 * 1962: Milt Jackson – Statements (Impulse!)
 * 1963: Milt Jackson – Milt Jackson Quintet Live at the Village Gate (Riverside)
 * 1964: Milt Jackson – Jazz 'n' Samba (Impulse!)
 * 1964: Milt Jackson – In a New Setting (Limelight)
 * 1965: Milt Jackson – Ray Brown / Milt Jackson with Ray Brown (Verve)
 * 1965: Donald Byrd – Up with Donald Byrd (Verve)
 * 1965: Cal Tjader – Soul Sauce (Verve)
 * 1966: Milt Jackson – Born Free (Limelight)
 * 1969: Herbie Hancock – Baraka (Jazz World)
 * 1970: Herbie Mann – Big Boss Mann
 * 1970: Charles Earland - Black Drops (Prestige)
 * 1972: Curtis Fuller - Smokin' (Mainstream)
 * 1974: Red Garland – The Quota
 * 1974: Milt Jackson – Olinga (CTI)
 * 1976: Stanley Cowell – Regeneration
 * 1994: Modern Jazz Quartet - MJQ & Friends: A 40th Anniversary Celebration (Atlantic)
 * 2006: Nancy Wilson – Turned to Blue
 * Mad About Tadd (1980, Palo Alto Records)