Tootie Heath was the youngest of the three Heath brothers, all of whom left a huge mark on jazz.
The Philadelphia post-war scene was spectacular. In the photo below, Jimmy Garrison and Ted Curson are familiar to any jazz fan, but Sam Reed also went on to be an important figure in the Philadelphia soul/jazz ecosystem, including working as the music director for Teddy Pendergrass.
About sixty years later I took a shot of Sam Reed and Tootie outside the Lincoln Post, the American Legion hall where Tootie heard his first drums as a little boy. (This is also on the corner of 20th and Federal, the same as the West Indian Club above.)
The Hi-Tones was Bill Carney’s mid-’50s group with John Coltrane, Shirley Scott, and Tootie:
In 1957, Tootie Heath played drums on the first albums led by John Coltrane and led by Nina Simone. (That's Tootie on the enormous Simone hit "My Baby Just Cares For Me.")
Tootie’s discography is vast. Bonafide masterpieces where Tootie is also playing a lot of awesome and interactive drums include J.J Johnson’s J.J. Inc., Kenny Dorham’s Trompeta Toccata, and Herbie Hancock’s The Prisoner.
In 2015, following a stroke, Tootie had open heart surgery. This photo was taken when I visited him where he was recuperating in a hospital in Santa Fe.
He obviously was already the de facto “mayor” of the hospital floor, and as usual took pride in explaining naughty adventures. The latest tale was about the recent surgery.
Tootie always chose his headgear carefully, and upon moving out to Santa Fe the previous year, the maestro began sporting a huge 10-gallon cowboy hat wherever he went. He kept it on no matter what, including up until the last minute at the hospital. Prepped for surgery, Tootie was nude under a hospital gown but was still wearing the enormous cowboy hat. The nurses repeatedly told him to take it off, but he kept it on anyway. Right before putting him under, the lead surgeon came in and told him sternly, “OK, sir, you’ve got to lose the hat.”
Tootie acted perplexed. “Why, doc? You are wearing not just a hat, but plastic gloves and hospital scrubs! Let me wear my hat, since you’ve got one.”
The doctor hesitated. “Well, look. I’m wearing all this gear for your protection. We are about to open your chest, and we need a sanitized environment to keep you safe.”
Tootie replied, “Yeah, that’s all well and good, doc, but I’m wearing this hat for fashion and style!”
Tootie Heath and Billy Hart are members of an elite group. This a shot I snapped in 2017:
Ben Street and I played with Tootie mostly in New York, but there were also a few domestic engagements, including a gig in my hometown of Menomonie, Wisconsin. (This is not a normal tour stop for a certified jazz master.) I treasure the shot of Ben, Tootie, and myself outside Menomonie Market.
That night, after we played the Mabel Tainter Theater, one of my oldest hometown friends told me, “This was the best drummer I’ve ever seen.” I had no reason to doubt the accuracy of that statement.
This piece is reprinted from Ethan’s wonderful Substack column Transitional Technology. Read other articles by Ethanhere.
