Billy Higgins (October 11, 1936 – May 3, 2001) was an American jazz drummer. He played mainly free jazz and hard bop.[1]
Billy Higgins | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Born | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | October 11, 1936
Died | May 3, 2001 Inglewood, California, U.S. | (aged 64)
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician, educator |
Instrument(s) | Drums |
Biography edit
Higgins was born in Los Angeles, California, United States.[2] Higgins played on Ornette Coleman's first records, beginning in 1958.[3] He then freelanced extensively with hard bop and other post-bop players, including Donald Byrd, Dexter Gordon, Grant Green, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Don Cherry, Paul Horn, Milt Jackson, Jackie McLean, Pat Metheny, Hank Mobley, Thelonious Monk, Lee Morgan, David Murray, Art Pepper, Sonny Rollins, Mal Waldron, and Cedar Walton.[3] He was one of the house drummers for Blue Note Records and played on dozens of Blue Note albums of the 1960s.[3] He also collaborated with composer La Monte Young and guitarist Sandy Bull.
In his career, he played on over 700 recordings, including recordings of rock and funk. He appeared as a jazz drummer in the 2001 movie, Southlander.
In 1989, Higgins cofounded a cultural center, The World Stage, in Los Angeles to encourage and promote younger jazz musicians. The center provides workshops in performance and writing, as well as concerts and recordings. Higgins also taught in the jazz studies program at the University of California, Los Angeles.[4]
He was divorced from wife Mauricina Altier Higgins and had three sons, William, Joseph, and David, as well as a stepson Jody. He also had two daughters, Rickie Wade and Heidi.
Billy Higgins died of kidney and liver failure on May 3, 2001, at a hospital in Inglewood, California.[4]
Discography edit
As leader edit
- 1979: Soweto (Red)
- 1979: The Soldier (Timeless, [1981])
- 1980: Once More (Red)
- 1984: Mr. Billy Higgins (Evidence)
- 1980-86: Bridgework (Contemporary)
- 1994: ¾ for Peace (Red)
- 1997: Billy Higgins Quintet (Evidence)
- 2001: The Best of Summer Nights at Moca (Exodus)
As a sideman edit
With Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt edit
- God Bless Jug and Sonny (Prestige, 1973 [2001])
- Left Bank Encores (Prestige, 1973 [2001])
With Chris Anderson edit
- Blues One (DIW, 1991)
With Gary Bartz edit
- Libra (Milestone, 1968)
With Paul Bley edit
- Live at the Hilcrest Club 1958 (Inner City, 1958 [1976])
- Coleman Classics Volume 1 (Improvising Artists, 1958 [1977])
With Sandy Bull edit
- Fantasias for Guitar and Banjo (Vanguard, 1963)
- Inventions (Vanguard, 1965)
With Jaki Byard edit
- On the Spot! (Prestige, 1967)
With Donald Byrd edit
- Royal Flush (Blue Note, 1961)
- Free Form (Blue Note, 1962)
- Blackjack (Blue Note, 1967)
- Slow Drag (Blue Note, 1967)
With Joe Castro edit
- Groove Funk Soul (Atlantic, 1959)
With Don Cherry edit
- Brown Rice (EMI, 1975)
- Art Deco (A&M, 1988)
With Sonny Clark edit
- Leapin' and Lopin' (Blue Note, 1961)
With George Coleman edit
- Amsterdam After Dark (Timeless, 1979)
With Ornette Coleman edit
- Something Else!!!! (Contemporary, 1958)
- The Shape of Jazz to Come (Atlantic, 1959)
- Change of the Century (Atlantic, 1959)
- The Art of the Improvisers (Atlantic, 1959)
- To Whom Who Keeps a Record (Warner, 1959–60)
- Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation (Atlantic, 1961)
- Twins (Atlantic, 1961)
- Science Fiction (Columbia, 1971)
- Broken Shadows (Columbia, 1971–1972 [1982])
- The Complete Science Fiction Sessions (Columbia, 1971–1972 [2000])
- In All Languages (Caravan of Dreams, 1987)
With John Coltrane edit
- Like Sonny (Roulette, 1960)
With Junior Cook edit
- Somethin's Cookin' (Muse, 1981)
With Bill Cosby edit
- Hello, Friend: To Ennis with Love (Verve, 1997)
With Stanley Cowell edit
- Regeneration (Strata East, 1976)
With Ray Drummond edit
- The Essence (DMP, 1985)
With Teddy Edwards edit
- Teddy Edwards at Falcon's Lair (MetroJazz, 1958)
- Sunset Eyes (Pacific Jazz, 1960)
- Teddy's Ready! (Contemporary, 1960)
- Nothin' But the Truth! (Prestige, 1966)
- Young at Heart (Storyville, 1979) with Howard McGhee
- Wise in Time (Storyville, 1979) with Howard McGhee
- Mississippi Lad (Verve/Gitanes, 1991)
- Tango in Harlem (Verve/Gitanes, 1994)
With Booker Ervin edit
- Tex Book Tenor (Blue Note, 1968)
With Art Farmer edit
- Homecoming (Mainstream, 1971)
- Yesterday's Thoughts (East Wind, 1975)
- To Duke with Love (East Wind, 1975)
- The Summer Knows (East Wind, 1976)
- Art Farmer Quintet at Boomers (East Wind, 1976)
With Curtis Fuller edit
- Smokin' (Mainstream, 1972)
With Stan Getz edit
- Cal Tjader-Stan Getz Sextet (1958, Fantasy) with Cal Tjader
With Dexter Gordon edit
- Go (Blue Note, 1962)
- A Swingin' Affair (Blue Note, 1962)
- Clubhouse (Blue Note, 1965 – released 1979)
- Gettin' Around (Blue Note, 1965)
- Tangerine (Prestige, 1972 [1975])
- Generation (Prestige, 1972)
- Something Different (SteepleChase, 1975 [1980])
- Bouncin' with Dex (SteepleChase, 1976)
- The Other Side of Round Midnight (Blue Note, 1985)
With Grant Green edit
- First Session (Blue Note, 1961)
- Goin' West (Blue Note, 1962)
- Feelin' the Spirit (Blue Note, 1962)
With Dodo Greene edit
- My Hour of Need (Blue Note, 1962)
With Charlie Haden edit
- Quartet West (Verve, 1986)
- Silence (Soul Note, 1987)
- The Private Collection (Naim, 1987-88 [2000])
- First Song (Soul Note, 1990 [1992])
With Slide Hampton edit
- Roots (Criss Cross, 1985)
With Herbie Hancock edit
- Takin' Off (Blue Note, 1962)
- Round Midnight (soundtrack) (Columbia, 1985)
With Barry Harris edit
- Bull's Eye! (Prestige, 1968)
With Eddie Harris edit
- The In Sound (Atlantic, 1965)
- Mean Greens (Atlantic, 1966)
- The Tender Storm (Atlantic, 1966)
- Excursions (Atlantic, 1966–73)
- How Can You Live Like That? (Atlantic, 1976)
With Johnny Hartman edit
- Today (Perception, 1972)
With Jimmy Heath edit
- Love and Understanding (Muse, 1973)
- The Time and the Place (Landmark, 1974 [1994])
- Picture of Heath (Xanadu, 1975)
With Joe Henderson edit
- Mirror Mirror (MPS, 1980)
With Andrew Hill edit
- Dance with Death (Blue Note, 1968 – not released until 1980)
With Richard "Groove" Holmes edit
- Get Up & Get It! (Prestige, 1967)
With Paul Horn edit
- Something Blue (HiFi Jazz, 1960)
With Toninho Horta edit
- Once I Loved (Verve, 1992)
With Freddie Hubbard edit
- Bolivia (Music Master, 1991)
With Bobby Hutcherson edit
- Stick-Up (Blue Note, 1969)
- Solo / Quartet (Contemporary, 1982)
- Farewell Keystone (Theresa, 1982 [1988])
- Color Schemes (Landmark, 1985 [1986])
With J. J. Johnson edit
- Pinnacles (Milestone, 1980)
With Hank Jones and Dave Holland edit
- The Oracle (EmArcy, 1990)
With Sam Jones edit
- Seven Minds (East Wind Records, 1974)
- Cello Again (Xanadu, 1976)
- Something in Common (Muse, 1977)
With Clifford Jordan edit
- Soul Fountain (Vortex, 1966 [1970])
- Glass Bead Games (Strata-East, 1974)
- Night of the Mark VII (Muse, 1975)
- On Stage Vol. 1 (SteepleChase, 1975 [1977])
- On Stage Vol. 2 (SteepleChase, 1975 [1978])
- On Stage Vol. 3 (SteepleChase, 1975 [1979])
- Firm Roots (Steeplechase, 1975)
- The Highest Mountain (Steeplechase, 1975)
With Fred Katz edit
- Fred Katz and his Jammers (Decca, 1959)
With Steve Lacy edit
- Evidence (New Jazz, 1962) with Don Cherry
With Charles Lloyd edit
- Acoustic Masters I (Atlantic, 1993)
- Voice in the Night (ECM, 1999)
- The Water Is Wide (ECM, 2000)
- Hyperion with Higgins (ECM, 2001, released posthumously)
- Which Way Is East (ECM, 2004, released posthumously)
With Pat Martino edit
- The Visit! (Cobblestone, 1972) also released as Footprints
With Jackie McLean edit
- A Fickle Sonance (Blue Note, 1961)
- Let Freedom Ring Blue Note, 1962)
- Vertigo (Blue Note, 1962–63)
- Action Action Action (Blue Note, 1964)
- Consequence (Blue Note, 1965 [2005])
- New and Old Gospel (Blue Note, 1967)
With Charles McPherson edit
- The Quintet/Live! (Prestige, 1966)
- Horizons (Prestige, 1968)
- Today's Man (Mainstream, 1973)
With Pat Metheny edit
- Rejoicing (ECM, 1983)
With Blue Mitchell edit
- Bring It Home to Me (Blue Note, 1966)
With Red Mitchell edit
- Presenting Red Mitchell (Contemporary, 1957)
With Hank Mobley edit
- The Turnaround (Blue Note, 1965)
- Dippin' (Blue Note, 1965)
- A Caddy for Daddy (Blue Note, 1965)
- A Slice of the Top (Blue Note, 1966 [1979])
- Hi Voltage (Blue Note, 1967)
- Third Season (Blue Note, 1967)
- Far Away Lands (Blue Note, 1967)
- Reach Out! (Blue Note, 1968)
- Breakthrough! (Muse, 1972) with Cedar Walton
- Straight No Filter (Blue Note, 1964-66 [1980])
With Thelonious Monk edit
- Thelonious Monk at the Blackhawk (Riverside, 1960)
With Buddy Montgomery edit
- Ties of Love (Landmark, 1987)
- With Tete Montoliu
- Secret Love (Timeless, 1977)
- Live at the Keystone Corner (Timeless, 1979 [1981])
With Frank Morgan edit
- Easy Living (Contemporary, 1985)
- Lament (Contemporary, 1986)
- Bebop Lives! (Contemporary, 1987)
- Love, Lost & Found (Telarc, 1995)
With Lee Morgan edit
- The Sidewinder (Blue Note, 1963)
- Search for the New Land (Blue Note, 1964)
- The Rumproller (Blue Note, 1965)
- The Gigolo (Blue Note, 1965)
- Cornbread (Blue Note, 1965)
- Infinity (Blue Note, 1965 [1980])
- Delightfulee (Blue Note, 1966)
- Charisma (Blue Note, 1966)
- The Rajah (Blue Note, 1966 [1984])
- Sonic Boom (Blue Note, 1967 [1979])
- The Sixth Sense (Blue Note, 1967–68)
- The Procrastinator (Blue Note, 1967 [1978])
- Taru (Blue Note, 1968 [1980])
- Caramba! (Blue Note, 1968)
With Bheki Mseleku edit
- Star Seeding (Polygram Records, 1995)
With David Murray edit
- Live at Sweet Basil Volume 1 (Black Saint, 1984)
- Live at Sweet Basil Volume 2 (Black Saint, 1984)
With Horace Parlan edit
- Happy Frame of Mind (Blue Note, 1963)
With Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen edit
- Jaywalkin' (SteepleChase, 1975)
- Double Bass (SteepleChase, 1976) with Sam Jones
With Art Pepper edit
- So in Love (Artists House, 1979)
- Artworks (Galaxy, 1979 [1984])
- Landscape (Galaxy, 1979)
- Besame Mucho (JVC, 1979 [1981])
- Straight Life (Galaxy, 1979)
- Art 'n' Zoot (Pablo, 1981 [1995]) with Zoot Sims
With Dave Pike edit
- It's Time for Dave Pike (Riverside, 1961)
- Pike's Groove (Criss Cross Jazz, 1986) with Cedar Walton
With Jimmy Raney edit
- The Influence (Xanadu, 1975)
With Sonny Red edit
- Sonny Red (Mainstream, 1971)
With Freddie Redd edit
- Live at the Studio Grill (Triloka, 1990)
With Joshua Redman edit
- Wish (1993)
With Red Rodney edit
- The Red Tornado (Muse, 1975)
With Sonny Rollins edit
- Our Man in Jazz (RCA Victor, 1965)
- There Will Never Be Another You (recorded 1965 released 1978)
With Charlie Rouse edit
- Bossa Nova Bacchanal (Blue Note, 1965)
- With Hilton Ruiz
- Piano Man (SteepleChase, 1975)
With Pharoah Sanders edit
- Rejoice (Theresa, 1981)
With Rob Schneiderman edit
- Smooth Sailing (Reservoir, 1990)
With John Scofield edit
- Works for Me (Verve, 2001)
With Shirley Scott edit
- One for Me (Strata-East, 1974)
With Archie Shepp edit
- Attica Blues (Impulse!, 1972)
With Sonny Simmons edit
- Rumasuma (Contemporary, 1969)
With James Spaulding edit
- James Spaulding Plays the Legacy of Duke Ellington (Storyville, 1977)
With Robert Stewart edit
- Judgement (World Stage, 1994 / Red Records, 1997)
- The Movement (Exodus, 2002)
With Sonny Stitt edit
- Blues for Duke (Muse, 1975 [1978])
With Idrees Sulieman edit
- Now Is the Time (SteepleChase, 1976)
With Ira Sullivan edit
- Peace (Galaxy, 1978)
- Multimedia (Galaxy, 1978 [1982])
With Sun Ra edit
- Somewhere Else (Rounder, 1988–89)
- Blue Delight (A&M, 1989)
With Cecil Taylor edit
- Jumpin' Punkins (Candid, 1961)
- New York City R&B (Candid, 1961)
With Lucky Thompson edit
- Goodbye Yesterday (Groove Merchant, 1973)
With the Timeless All Stars edit
- It's Timeless (Timeless, 1982)
- Timeless Heart (Timeless, 1983)
- Essence (Delos, 1986)
- Time for the Timeless All Stars (Early Bird, 1990)
With Bobby Timmons edit
- Soul Food (Prestige, 1966)
- Got to Get It! (Milestone, 1967)
With Charles Tolliver edit
- The New Wave in Jazz (Impulse!, 1965)
With Stanley Turrentine edit
- More Than a Mood (MusicMasters, 1992)
With Mal Waldron edit
- Up Popped the Devil (Enja, 1973)
- One Entrance, Many Exits (Palo Alto, 1982)
With Cedar Walton edit
- Cedar! (Prestige, 1967)
- Eastern Rebellion (Timeless, 1976) with George Coleman & Sam Jones
- The Pentagon (East Wind, 1976)
- Eastern Rebellion 2 (Timeless, 1977) with Bob Berg & Sam Jones
- First Set (SteepleChase, 1977 [1978])
- Second Set (SteepleChase, 1977 [1979])
- Third Set (SteepleChase, 1977 [1982])
- Eastern Rebellion 3 (Timeless, 1980) with Curtis Fuller, Bob Berg & Sam Jones
- The Maestro (Muse, 1981)
- Among Friends (Theresa, 1982 [1989])
- Eastern Rebellion 4 (Timeless, 1984) with Curtis Fuller, Bob Berg, Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros & David Williams
- Cedar's Blues (Red, 1985)
- The Trio 1 (Red, 1985)
- The Trio 2 (Red, 1985)
- The Trio 3 (Red, 1985)
- Cedar Walton (Timeless, 1985)
- Bluesville Time (Criss Cross Jazz, 1985)
- Cedar Walton Plays (Delos, 1986)
- As Long as There's Music (Muse, 1990 [1993])
- Mosaic (Music Masters, 1990 [1992]) as Eastern Rebellion
- Simple Pleasure (Music Masters, 1993) as Eastern Rebellion
- Manhattan Afternoon (Criss Cross Jazz, 1992 [1994])
- Just One of Those Nights: At the Village Vanguard (Music Masters, 1995) as Eastern Rebellion
With Don Wilkerson edit
- The Texas Twister (1960)
- Preach Brother! (1962)
With David Williams edit
- Up Front (Timeless, 1987)
With Jack Wilson edit
- Easterly Winds (Blue Note, 1967)
References edit
- ^ "Billy Higgins | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- ^ James Nadal (ed.). "Billy Higgins". All About Jazz. Archived from the original on 2010-05-05. Retrieved 2010-11-16.
- ^ a b c Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 202. ISBN 0-85112-580-8.
- ^ a b Ratliff, Ben (2001-05-04). "Billy Higgins, 64, Jazz Drummer With Melodic and Subtle Swing". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-11-16.