Remembering Saxophonist Jimmy Heath

2003 NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Heathdied Sunday at age 93. 

A saxophonist, composer and arranger, Heath was a key figure in the modern-jazz era of the 1940s. Heath played with many of the greats of jazz, including Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Coleman Hawkins. Heath recorded a highly praised series of albums for Riverside Records in the late 1950s into the early 1960s. Heath's compositions, including "Gingerbread Boy" and "For Minors Only," became jazz standards. In the 1970s, Heath formed the Heath Brothers, a group that included his brothers bass player Percy Heath and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath.

In 2012, Heath was the special guest of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra. During his visit, Heath was joined by CJO artistic director and trumpeter Sean Jones, bass player Dave Morgan and drummer Jerome Jennings. They performed in ideastream's Key Bank Studio. 

Click the audio above to hear the performance.