Jimmy Heath Reads from His Autobiography at Jazz Fest

Jazz 88.3 KCCK and Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature will present jazz legend Jimmy Heath in an opportunity to meet fans and sign copies of his autobiography, “I Walked with Giants,” Sunday, July 1 at 1pm at Iowa City’s Java House Café, 211 East Washington St., prior to his performance at the Iowa City Jazz Festival.

Heath, 85, is the composer of more than 100 jazz songs, a three-time Grammy nominee, and was a collaborator and friend of many jazz stars, including Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Dizzy Gillespie.

Heath’s autobiography is structured like a jazz song, where Heath will tell a story about a particular time or performer, and someone else who was there will then “riff” on the same story, creating a unique dialogue format.

The Heath Brothers Quartet, with Heath on saxophone and his brother Albert “Tootie” Heath on drums, will perform at 6pm on the main stage at the Iowa City Jazz Festival on July 1.

The signing will take place at 1pm at the Java House in downtown Iowa City. Then, after the performance, at approximately 7:45pm, Heath will appear at the KCCK booth on Clinton Street and sign books and CDs.

“Jimmy’s book is a unique snapshot of a time in jazz, in all of popular music, really, that will never come again, “ says KCCK General Manager and Iowa City Jazz Festival stage host Dennis Green. “To be able to hear the reminiscences in person of someone who was a close friend of Charlie Parker, Milt Jackson, Miles Davis and others is truly the tale of someone who walked with giants.”

Green, along with City of Literature Interim Executive Director John Kenyon, will moderate the discussion.