Product Description

"Brotherly Jazz: The Heath Brothers" paints a vivid portrait of Philadelphia's Heath Brothers -- bassist Percy, saxophonist/composer/arranger Jimmy, and drummer Albert "Tootie" -- through words and music, notably a 2004 California concert that marked one of the last times the brothers performed together. In a series of revealing interviews, the brothers tell their stories. Percy talks about his stint as a Tuskegee Airman, his bass lessons from Ray Brown, and his lengthy tenure with the Modern Jazz Quartet. Jimmy discusses the painful years he spent in prison and how he definitively turned his life around as a composer, arranger, and educator. And youngest brother "Tootie" admits that "had it not been for my older brothers, I might have gone astray and become a doctor or lawyer." Containing fascinating archival material about the Heaths' family life and early professional activities as well as rarely seen footage of Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and other bebop figures, Brotherly Jazz also features new interviews with key friends, admirers, and fellow musicians, including: Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock; Taj Mahal; Jack DeJohnette; Peter Jennings; Christian McBride. Brotherly Jazz makes abundantly clear that there's a lot more to their lives than stellar musical accomplishments. Percy, Jimmy, and "Tootie" are beguiling characters, raconteurs par excellence, and beloved members of the jazz fraternity.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #106579 in DVD
• Published on: 2006
• Released on: 2006-10-18
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 70 minutes

Features

• Jazz Documentary of the legendary Heath Brothers
• The Heath Brothers talk about their lives beginning in Philadelphia
• The Heath Brothers played with every great jazz musician from the 1950's on
• One of the last performances of the Heath Brothers before Percy's passing in 2005
• Entertaining and educational jazz history from the 1950's to present

Customer Reviews

An Indispensible Part of Jazz History
We have precious little Bird, Trane and Pres on film; a national treasure lost forever. But thanks to this wonderful DVD, we can actually hear and SEE the great Heath Brothers playing live. And these guys can talk as well as they play. Their stories and anecdotes--told with inimitable style--will keep you spellbound. The music itself is well recorded and includes a gorgeous--and rare--cello solo by Percy Heath.

Cameos by Sonny Rollins and Herbie Hancock plus clips of Bird and Diz add essential historical context. This is a must-own for any serious jazz fan.