Double Bass John Heard RIP

[dylanjohnson]

It doesn't seem to have been mentioned on TB, but the great John Heard passed away in December.
Here is an interesting interview from the 90's. Click through to the interview.



According to the late Paul Warburton, John purchased Red Mitchell's Tyrolean 5 string at one point. You can hear him pounding out low Ds and Cs all over his albums of the 70's.

He played with Ahmad, Basie, Oscar, Tjader, Dexter etc. etc.

I'm sure some of you knew him personally.

 

[Francois Blais]

RIP John!

 

[vanderbrook]

One of my influences. Thanks for the music, John. RIP.

 

[Alexis Duntov]

I used to go hear him when I lived in LA around 2002. Great player, nice guy.

 

[dylanjohnson]

I used to go hear him when I lived in LA around 2002. Great player, nice guy.

Yeah, I could kick myself for not getting down to Charlie O's when he had that gig there for years.

 

[Selim]

In my younger days, I wore out my copy of George Duke’s Faces in Reflection.

John Heard’s playing on it is very buoyant.

 

[ctrlzjones]

I just looked John Heard up for finding out who that en par swinging bassist is on Zoot Sims "Just Friends" and "Basie & Zoot". Wow. Here's one more cut: "Take The A Train" that features him very beautifully, until the end.

 

[dylanjohnson]

I just looked John Heard up for finding out who that en par swinging bassist is on Zoot Sims "Just Friends" and "Basie & Zoot". Wow. Here's one more cut: "Take The A Train" that features him very beautifully, until the end.

Thanks for these! John played with the Basie band in the late 70's. There are some videos around of him in the band. I found that record (The Kid's Got Ears) with A Train recently in a small record store in my hometown.

 

[ctrlzjones]

Thanks for these! John played with the Basie band in the late 70's. There are some videos around of him in the band. I found that record (The Kid's Got Ears) with A Train recently in a small record store in my hometown.

Mr. Heard is featured by Basie in this clip from 1979... also Zoot Sims who brought me to him.

 

[dylanjohnson]

Pretty sure that's Cleveland Eaton. There is some Basie with John on YouTube, though.

 

[ctrlzjones]

Pretty sure that's Cleveland Eaton. There is some Basie with John on YouTube, though.

Ups. I’m heading to the corner of self-shame right now. Basie even calls him by his name…

 

[dylanjohnson]

Ups. I’m heading to the corner of self-shame right now. Basie even calls him by his name…

Here is Mr. Heard w/ Basie in 76