The Heath Brothers – Paris ’76

Sam Records presents:
A never-before released The Heath Brothers 1976 live recordings.
First official release with the full permission and cooperation of the INA (Institut National de l’Audiovisuel).

The Heath Brothers – Paris ‘76 – Recorded live in Paris, 1976.

Sam Records is proud to presents here a live recording the band gave in Paris at Studio 104, Maison de la Radio, on April 16, 1976. In addition to a superb version of ‘One for Juan’, the band perform two tracks from the ‘Marchin’ On! album, ‘Watergate Blues’ and a wonderful version of ‘Smilin’ Billy’.

“That was the first Heath Brothers album. Stanley Cowell had started the Strata-East label with Charles Tolliver, and they engaged us to do a record. It was a family affair, and we adopted Stanley because we thought he was amazing. That was a different type of record for us. We recorded it while we were on tour in Oslo, Norway. We used to get on the train and travel around Europe, and we’d be playing in these cabins on the train. Percy played a bass with a cello body that Ray Brown created, Tootie and I played flutes, and Stanley played a chromatic African thumb piano. People would stop and listen to us on these trains going from one country to the next, and it was something that they liked. It was like a chamber-music group. So we decided to include that sound on the record”.
Source : Jimmy Heath in ‘I Walked With Giants: The Autobiography of Jimmy Heath‘

One for Juan :

Smilin’ Billy :

Jimmy Heath (tenor & soprano saxophone,  flute)
Stanley Cowell (piano & mbira)
Percy Heath (bass and “baby bass”)
Albert ‘Tootie’ Heath (drums, flute and African double-reed instrument)

Side A

• One for Juan (J. Heath) 13’11
• Watergate Blues (P. Heath) 6’14

Side B

• Smilin’ Billy (J. Heath) 22’36

Stickly Limited Edition 3000 copies.
Re-mastered from the original stereo master tapes.
Cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Mastering.
180g vinyl LP pressed in Marciac, France by Garcia & Co.
Deluxe flipback album jacket.
Artwork by Jean-Louis Duralek.
Double insert using an original photo by Thierry Trombert.
Each record has been visually checked to prevent defects.