While far from unknown, sax player
Jimmy Heath has had a low profile relative to the excellence and consistency of his writing and playing. This compilation helps correct that imbalance by spotlighting the seminal hard bopper's sessions recorded for Riverside between 1959 and 1964. The tracks cover small and medium group settings. Seven are
Heath originals that highlight his direct, swinging, sophisticated, style. The arrangements are also
Heath's. The pieces for septet and nonet call to mind the
Dizzy Gillespie band from this era. The quintet numbers are more in a
Horace Silver vein. The arrangements that include French horn and tuba tend to be more static than the rest. Trumpeters
Nat Adderely,
Freddie Hubbard, and
Donald Byrd all have satisfying choruses, with
Hubbard's being the most distinctive. Pianists
Wynton Kelly,
Cedar Walton,
Harold Mabern and
Herbie Hancock are also prominent and effective in soloist and accompanist roles.
Heath's moments, though, stand out for their energy and intelligence. His attack is more purely boppish than
John Coltrane's, but there are many similarities with that of his close friend, particularly with
Trane's sound from his Atlantic period. Strong echoes of
Dexter Gordon's balanced, authoritative, sonorous style are also evident.