Those claims are jubilantly borne out throughout The Newest One, which boasts spirited playing from an A-list band on a repertoire that bridges much of Heath’s career, from early compositions to some of his newest creations.
“Master Heath always subscribed to a philosophy that he learned from his mentor, Dizzy Gillespie,” Hart pointed out. “He liked to keep one foot in the past and one foot in the present. This project, like all his projects, expresses that with a mix of reimagined classic compositions and tunes that haven't been recorded before. He’s always been a visionary with a firm foundation in the tradition.”
The album kicks off to an ebullient start with “For Minors Only,” which was first recorded in 1957 by Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and went on to become a much-reprised standard and a particular favorite of Chet Baker. The present rendition sets the tone for the album’s parade of dazzling solos with Freddie Hendrix’s flitting, darting trumpet and Steve Davis’ fleetly swaggering trombone, culminating in a climactic explosion from drummer Evan Sherman.
Heath credited longtime Sun Ra Arkestra saxophonist Pat Patrick with the phrase “Longravity,” referring to someone who’d spent a great deal of time on the planet accumulating wisdom. He co-opted the phrase as the title for a piece that he described to JazzTimes as “the Heath Brothers’ theme song,” having recorded it with his siblings - bassist Percy and drummer Tootie - on 1984’s Brothers and Others. Here the elegantly swinging tune can only be seen as a self-portrait, as the bandleader had accumulated some very long gravity indeed, casting a shadow that far outstretched the diminutive stature that earned him the nickname “Little Bird.”
“Longravity” is aptly followed by “Mona’s Mood,” a tender dedication to Heath’s wife of four decades. Heath himself is the lone soloist, unfurling a musical love letter on soprano that feels intimate and moving. It now serves as a memorial to Mona Brown Heath, who passed away earlier this year as the finishing touches were being put onto the recording.
“Without Mrs. Heath, Master Heath wouldn't have been able to accomplish many of the things that he did,” Hart said. “She helped keep him alive and was always there for him. She was one of the most selfless human beings that I ever met. She was vitally important to this project coming together.”
The effortless intricacy of Heath’s arrangements is spotlighted on “Changes,” which weaves the band members into a lush tapestry, each contributing their own vivid color to the overall impression. Michael Philip Mossman’s muted trumpet is buoyed by that mesh of voices, while Heath’s tenor gently and soulfully coasts along its undulating waves.
In his liner notes for Connecting Spirits, the 2015 album on which Italian-born vocalist Roberta Gambarini sang a selection of pieces from the Jimmy Heath songbook accompanied by the Heath Brothers, Heath recalled meeting the singer at the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in 1998, just weeks since she had arrived in the U.S.
“She was extraordinary,” he wrote. “[Roberta’s] musicianship came to the forefront, not only in her singing, but with her amazing scatting ability… I am forever grateful to Roberta for getting involved in this project, and adding so much love, devotion, and musicianship to it."
Gambarini again contributes those qualities to The Newest One, reprising two songs that she originally recorded on Connecting Spirits. An additional decade of experience shades the love-hate ode to urban existence of “Life in the City,” the singer capturing the exhilaration of the cultural and social bustle of the metropolis while remaining undaunted and steely in the face of its challenges. Hart responds in the same vein with his grit- and determination-laced alto solo.
The lovely and wistful “Without Song” begins in a hushed mood, Gambarini alone with the crystalline keys of pianist Jeb Patton. The big band’s entrance is whisper-quiet, subtle enough not to dispel the enthralling atmosphere.
The title track is built upon a strutting groove that suddenly surges into Steve Davis’ solo turn as if the anticipation has become too much and the cool is momentarily blown. Patton follows with a lithely dancing solo of his own. Novelty remains the theme on “New Picture,” on which the big band wields such a light and graceful touch that it seems to float, conjuring reflective musings from trumpeter Mike Rodriguez, trombonist James Burton, Hart, and the leader himself with a husky, sweet tenor offering.
An insistent fanfare introduces the gossamer final tune, “Silver Threads,” concluding in stately fashion with a procession of brief statements from the band, including honorary Heath Brothers Patton and David Wong, as if waving one final farewell.
For Purviance and Hart, both longtime collaborators, friends, students and admirers of their late leader, The Newest One has become their send-off to the late Maestro Heath, even as they continue to keep his torch alight through the ongoing efforts of the Jimmy Heath Big Band.
