“Love Letter” is the name of legendary jazz saxophonist Jimmy Heath posthumous album

“Love Letter” is the name of legendary jazz saxophonist Jimmy Heath’s posthumous album. The saxophone legend passed away on January 19, aged 93. Jimmy Heath was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader. He started his long successful career as a member of Dizzy Gillespie's band, late in 1949, and his last record he pays homage to his master, taking on Dizzy’s “Con Alma”.

He was the brother of bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert Heath, with whom he formed the Heath Brothers. Heath’s played on more than 100 albums, and wrote more than 125 songs, many of which have become jazz standards. Gems from his catalogue have been recorded by Cannonball Adderley, Chet Baker, Miles Davis, James Moody, Milt Jackson, Ahmad Jamal, Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, J. J. Johnson and Dexter Gordon.

On “Love Letter” Jimmy revisited jazz ballads including songs written by Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, and Kenny Dorham and three of his own compositions.

Watch below the video to Jimmy Heath new take on Dizzy Gillespie “Con Alma”, a new single from his forthcoming posthumous album “Love Letter”:

"Jimmy always wanted to know the lyrics of a song before playing it. That particular sensitivity no doubt contributes to the intimacy of his sound and is the reason he loved playing ballads - whether a tune had lyrics or not, he was singing with that horn", album producer Carol Friedman said.

“Love Letter” is a collection of ballads featuring contributions by trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, pianist Kenny Barron, guitarist Russell Malone, bassist David Wong, drummer Lewis Nash, vibraphonist Monte Croft, as well as vocalists Gregory Porter singing Gordon Parks' "Don't Misunderstand" and Cécile McLorin Salvant in the Billie Holiday-Mal Waldron tone poem "Left Alone".

“I feel really grateful and happy to be here—to be able to share music with him, and honor him. To say thank you for everything that he’s done and given to the music and to me personally. He’s a great teacher. He’s somebody that through his music, through his compositions, through his personality, lifts people up”, Cécile McLorin Salvant said about their collaboration.

Watch below the video to Jimmy Heath and Cécile McLorin Salvant “Left Alone”, a second single from the forthcoming album “Love Letter”:

Jimmy Heath posthumous album “Love Letter” will come out via Verve Records on 17th July 2020.

“Love Letter” tracklist:

1. ‘Ballad from Upper Neighbors Suite’

2. ‘Left Alone’ (with Cécile McLorin Salvant)

3. ‘Inside Your Head’

4. ‘La Mesha’ (with Wynton Marsalis)

5. ‘Don’t Misunderstand’ (with Gregory Porter)

6. ‘Con Alma’

7. ‘Fashion Or Passion’

8. ‘Don’t Explain’

Listen below to Jimmy Heath new take on Dizzy Gillespie “Con Alma” and collaboration with Cécile McLorin Salvant “Left Alone”, from his forthcoming posthumous album “Love Letter”: