Jazz has been described as “living art form “– a genre that “endures the ages and improvises with the times.”

That pretty much sums up jazz great Jimmy Heath. And he prefers talking about these times, not them.

The 86-year old NEA jazz master saxophonist respects traditions but wasn’t much interested in the old days when Constella called him to talk about his Oct. 3 “Fiesta Mojo” concert at the University of Cincinnati College of Music’s Corbett Auditorium.

Jimmy will be playing with musicians from the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, Scott Belck, Director. The CCJO features some of Cincinnati’s most critically praised and popular jazz musicians.

Jimmy said he’s looking forward to returning to Cincinnati in what has been a very long time. He couldn’t remember just when he was here last: “A lifetime ago,” he said. But he’s looking forward to getting back, bringing something old, something new.

We talked a bit about Cincinnati’s rich jazz tradition. About how Louis Armstrong’s first recordings were at a studio near here in Richmond, Indiana.  And that Fats Waller was on the staff of WLW in the 1930s, with Fats’ Rhythm Club and doing gigs in local clubs.

 But it didn’t take long for Jimmy to move on.

 “That was kind of before my time.”

 He wanted to talk about his plans for Constella, where he will perform selections from his Grammy-nominated album, Little Man, Big Band, plus new and classic arrangements of other original compositions and jazz standards.

“I’m always writing new things,” Heath said. “I’ll be writing today.”

Jimmy came up in the “big band” era and became known for “bebop” and credits his time with Dizzy Gillespie for helping him learn how to make a small band sound big. These days, he’s teaching jazz students old and new ways.

“I tell them not to be pigeon-holed into the jazz boxes defined by others -  swing, cool jazz, fusion, bebop,” Jimmy said. “Keep it fresh and always write new ways.”

So how does he describe what we’ll be hearing when he comes to the Constella Festival?

“It’s called Fiesta Mojo because it’s a party,” Jimmy said.  He said he’ll be performing some material for the first time at Constella outside his usual venues in New York, D.C. and in a recent trip to Germany.

“I’ve been traveling a lot to many places,“ Jimmy said. "And now I’m coming to Cincinnati.”

Yes, you are sir. We welcome you and look forward to the party of jazz you’ll bring with Fiesta Mojo.

Tickets and information:

http://constellafestival.org/event/fiesta-mojo-with-jimmy-heath/

About the Constella Festival:

The festival will bring stars of classical music, dance and art to the region with its third festival October 1 to November 7. This will be a magical year for Constella, with the return of violin superstar Joshua Bell and first-ever Constella Festival appearance by the Grammy Award-winning conductor Paavo Järvi.

Constella will present 20 concerts at 15 Cincinnati venues including world-premiere music and dance works, children’s concerts, workshops, and master classes. Most Constella-produced events will feature art exhibitions and collaborations by prominent Cincinnati artists and art galleries.

Details and ticket information for all Constella and partner events:

http://constellafestival.org/events/

About Jimmy Heath:

Born to what would become one of America’s most storied jazz families Jimmy Heath is a saxophonist, composer, arranger, and educator. The middle member of the legendary Heath Brothers, (Percy, bass; Albert, ‘Tootie,’ drums), he has performed on more than 125 recordings. Many of his compositions have become standards, recorded by artists including Cannonball Adderley, Chet Baker, Ray Charles, Chick Corea, Miles Davis, Art Farmer, Milt Jackson, Ahmad Jamal, J.J Johnson, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Blue Mitchell, James Moody, Clark Terry, and McCoy Tyner.

Jimmy has composed extended works — twelve suites and two string quartets. His first symphonic work, ‘Three Ears,’ premiered while he was a Professor at Queens College (CUNY). Heath has performed at jazz clubs, concert halls and other major venues, including Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and the White House.

Heath’s autobiography, ‘I Walked with Giants,’ with a foreword by Bill Cosby and introduction by Wynton Marsalis, was published in 2010.

For more on Jimmy Heath, please go to www.jimmyheath.com.

About The CCJO:

The Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra gave its debut performance at last year’s Constella Festival. Focused on the music of living composers and arrangers, it features some of Cincinnati’s most critically praised and popular jazz musicians, including Phil DeGreg, Brent Gallaher, Art Gore and Kim Pensyl.

Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cincinnati-Contemporary-Jazz-Orchestra/463995683623089?ref=ts&fref=ts

CCM Jazz:

http://ccm.uc.edu/music/jazz.html