Really Big! — Jimmy Heath (Riverside, 1960) Artwork

Deep in the Stacks: Your Daily Jazz LP Podcast

Every day, Danny from Kissa Kissa -- the Japanese-style jazz vinyl bar in Crown Heights, Brooklyn -- pulls one album from the stacks and tells you who made it, why it matters, and what to listen for. Three minutes, one record you need to hear. Calendar-driven picks tied to recording dates and artist birthdays, plus deep cuts from the Kissa Kissa collection.

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Deep in the Stacks: Your Daily Jazz LP Podcast

Really Big! — Jimmy Heath (Riverside, 1960)

April 17, 2026 • Episode 9

0:00 | 3:42

Deep in the Stacks, Episode 9: A tentet date with arrangements so good they make a room full of all-stars sound like a working band.

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SPEAKER_01 0:00

Three brothers on the same jazz record Percy Heath on bass, Albert Tootie Heath on drums, and Jimmy Heath writing the charts, playing tenor, and leading a band that also included Clark Terry, Nat Adderly, and Cannonball Adderley. It was 1960. The arrangements were airtight, and the album was called Really Big, which, for once, wasn't an exaggeration. This is deep in the stacks. Today's album, Really Big, by Jimmy Heath. By the late 50s, Jimmy Heath had lost years to a federal narcotics conviction. Years away from the bandstand, but not from manuscript paper. He kept writing. The Middle Heath brother, between Percy and Tootie, had always been the family's primary composer and arranger, and when he came back, the music was tighter than ever. Really big was his second album as a leader, cut at Plaza Sound Studios in New York on June 24th and 28th, 1960, for the Riverside label. Producer Orin Keepnews gave him a tent-tet, Clark Terry on Trumpet, Nat Adderley on Cornet, Cannonball Adderly on Alto, Pat Patrick on Baritone Saks, Dick Berg on French Horn, Tom McIntosh on Trombone, and either Cedar Walton or Tommy Flanagan on piano depending on the track. That French horn is the quiet surprise. It thickens the voicings with a color you almost never hear on a hard bop date. McIntosh contributed arrangements on two tracks as well. The repertoire mixes Heath originals with Bobby Timmins's Dat Dare and On Green Dolphin Street, and the writing makes the larger ensemble feel cohesive rather than cluttered. Big band thinking scaled down to ten pieces, built on a rhythm section that happened to be family. Try Dat Dere. Heath reframes Bobby Timmins' classic for the larger group, giving each section something specific to do. The interplay between Clark Terry's trumpet and the saxophone section has a natural call and response feel. Then try Nails. It's a Heath original that shows off his writing at its sharpest. The melody is off-kilter but catchy, and the band navigates the changes with the kind of precision that only comes from musicians who trust the charts and each other. Cedar Walton's piano comping throughout this record is a masterclass in knowing when to fill and when to stay out of the way. And having Percy and Tootie Heath as the rhythm section gives Jimmy a foundation that feels intuitive. These are musicians who grew up hearing each other practice through the walls. The Heath family contribution to jazz is enormous, and this album is one of its finest documents. A tentet date with arrangements so good they make a room full of all stars sound like a working band. I'm Danny from Kissa Kissa in Brooklyn. Go put on a record. We'll see you tomorrow.