As We Were Saying

During the Modern Jazz Quartet's temporary retirement from 1975-83, bassist Percy Heath teamed up with tenor and soprano great Jimmy Heath and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath (who left after a few years) to form the Heath Brothers. There had been occasional reunions since then, but this is the first record done under the Heath Brothers name in over a decade, and it finds the musical communication between the three siblings as strong as ever. Joined by either Stanley Cowell or Sir Roland Hanna on piano and such guests as guitarist Mark Elf, trombonist Slide Hampton, trumpeter Jon Faddis (brilliant during his three appearances) and percussionist James Mtume (Jimmy's son), the Heaths perform a varied yet continually colorful set. The music is largely bop-oriented and includes six likable originals, "I'm Glad There Is You," "Daydream," and Fats Navarro's "Nostalgia." Although Percy has some solo spots, as do the guests, the main voice throughout is Jimmy Heath, who has long had his own distinctive sounds on tenor and soprano. Without exaggeration, it can be accurately stated that all nine performances on this CD are memorable in their own way. Highly recommended.