Blue Haze: Breaking Down Percy Heath’s Iconic Bass Intro
Celebrating the genius of the late, great bassist Percy Heath. His nearly 70-year career playing Jazz spanned hundreds of records that included Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Wes Montgomery, the Heath Brothers, the Modern Jazz Quartet, and many, many more.
I’ll break down his iconic 2-chorus walking bass intro to Miles Davis’ “Blue Haze” (1954) and the six reasons I love it so much. Join me in celebrating one of the great bassists of Jazz – and one we don’t talk about enough!
Paul Thompson has been playing bass professionally for over 30 years, including recording and touring stints with trumpeter Maynard Ferguson and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. Recent playing credits include Bob Reynolds, John Pizzarelli, Jeff 'Tain' Watts, and Bob James, among others. Currently, he can be seen playing in and around the Pittsburgh, PA area with the THOTH Trio, the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, and many other musicians in the city's rich Jazz community. An educator of over 25 years, Paul currently teaches Jazz Bass at Duquesne University, West Virginia University, and his alma mater, Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 Performing Arts School.
Connect with Paul on Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and his website.
