Flushing Town Hall Will Pay Tribute to Albert 'Tootie' Heath

On Friday, June 28, at 8 PM, Flushing Town Hall will present The Queens Jazz Orchestra - A Concert for "Tootie" Heath to remember and honor the late NEA Jazz Master Albert "Tootie" Heath, who passed away last month on April 3, just shy of 90 years-old. There will be a pre-show reception at 7 PM, open to all concert ticket holders. 

NEA Jazz Master Albert "Tootie" Heath was the last living member of The Heath Brothers, America's most prominent jazz siblings. Hailing from Philadelphia, the family included three NEA Jazz Masters, the nation's highest honor in jazz. Bassist Percy Heath was named a Jazz Master in 2002, saxophonist Jimmy Heath in 2003, and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath in 2021. 

As the youngest brother, Tootie received his musical training from his family. His father was a clarinetist in one of Philadelphia's Black marching bands, and his older brothers Percy and Jimmy already were establishing themselves in the jazz world. 

Tootie was the drummer with The Heath Brothers and later with the Modern Jazz Quartet. He performed with some of the most prolific and best-known musicians in jazz, starting with Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane. He was the drummer for Nina Simone's first album, Little Girl Blue, and also played with virtuosos such as J.J. Johnson, Herbie Hancock, Benny Golson, Dexter Gordon, Art Farmer, Cannonball Adderley, Ethan Iverson, and Wes Montgomery. He is featured in more than 100 recordings. 

Tootie was also an educator, conducting clinics and workshops and performing at colleges and universities nationwide. For more than 30 years, he was an instructor at the Stanford Jazz Workshop summer camps for middle and high school students. In 2018, Tootie received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jazz Foundation of America. 

The Queens Jazz Orchestra (QJO) is a project of Flushing Town Hall and was the brainchild of Tootie's brother, Jimmy Heath, and Flushing Town Hall's Jazz Producer, Clyde Bullard. Founded in 2008, the 17-piece orchestra is dedicated to preserving the heritage of jazz in Queens and nurturing the next generations of great jazz musicians. Jimmy Heath was QJO's first music director, leading the orchestra until his passing in 2020. Since then, the orchestra has been led by Antonio Hart, Grammy-nominated jazz saxophonist, conductor, and Director of Jazz Studies at the Queens College Aaron Copland School of Music. Hart was personally selected for the role of band leader by his predecessor.

“Tootie was a great force in jazz and among the many jazz legends to have made a home for themselves in our great borough of Queens. We loved having him perform at Flushing Town Hall as part of our annual NEA Jazz Masters concert series,“ says Clyde Bullard, Queens Jazz Orchestra Co-Founder and Flushing Town Hall Jazz Producer. “We hope audience members attending the June 28 concert will join us for the pre-concert reception to share their favorite memories of Tootie and his music.”

The QJO will perform at Flushing Town Hall on Friday, June 28 at 8 PM ET. In-Person Tickets are $48/ $42 for members, seniors, & students w/ ID. The free, pre-concert reception will be open for concert ticket-holders at 7 PM.

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