Santa Fe jazz drummer contributed on more than 100 albums

Apr. 4—Jazz drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath, who contributed to more than 100 albums after first recording in 1957 with John Coltrane, has died.

Heath, 88, died Wednesday at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, according to friend and fellow drummer John Trentacosta. The cause of death was unclear.

Heath was surrounded by family members and friends, Trentacosta wrote in an update for the Santa Fe Music Collective.

"For me it was a bittersweet honor to be with Tootie during his final moments, and even more of an honor to know him and consider him one of my best friends for the last ten years," Trentacosta wrote.

Heath played regularly until nearly the end, telling a Pasatiempo writer in 2021 that, at 85, he still practiced almost daily. After recording with Coltrane in 1957, he played on more than 100 albums from musical powerhouses such as Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock and Dexter Gordon. In 1975, he joined The Heath Brothers with brothers Percy and Jimmy, remaining a member on and off until Jimmy's death about six years ago.

Heath was born in South Philadelphia in 1935 to a beautician and an auto repairman. His mother sang and his father was a fan of the blues and played clarinet. Heath's brothers were both talented musicians: Percy, 12 years older, played bass, and Jimmy, nine years older, played tenor saxophone.

Heath, who was Black, lived in Europe in the 1960s, a time of racial tumult in his native U.S. While living in Sweden, he was a member of the Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen, the capital of neighboring Denmark. He later moved to Los Angeles, where he performed regularly and taught for 30 years in Stanford University's summer jazz program.

Heath and his wife, Beverly, moved to Santa Fe in 2013. Trentacosta said when he got wind that a jazz giant had moved to town, he quickly made contact.

"Over these past 10 years I can say that my life has been truly enriched by being in the presence of such an incredible human being," he wrote. "If you never met Tootie it would be hard to understand who he is, and if you have had the good fortune to be in his company, I'm sure it was an experience you will never forget. He's someone who loves life and loves everyone, immediately breaking down all barriers to communication with his off-handed old school humor."

In recent years, Heath produced and led The Whole Drum Truth, a jazz drum ensemble that paid tribute to jazz drumming masters such as Louis Hayes, Charli Persip, Leroy Williams and Jackie Williams. In 2020, Heath was named the National Endowment for the Arts' Jazz Masters recipient, the highest award given to a jazz musician.

Trentacosta plans to honor Heath on the upcoming episode of his weekly radio show The Bopera House. He'll be joined by drummer Louis Hayes, also a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters recipient and a close friend of Heath's. It runs from 9 a.m. to noon Monday on KSFR 101.1-FM and can be streamed at ksfr.org.

No information about services was immediately available.

Information from The Santa Fe New Mexican's archive contributed to this report.