Legendary jazz drummer Albert Tootie Heath dead at 88 WSOC TV [Video]

Albert “Tootie” Heath, a self-taught jazz drummer who backed John Coltrane and Nina Simone and later teamed with his brothers on several recordings, died on April 3. He was 88.

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Heath died at a hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico, The Washington Post reported. He was suffering from leukemia, according to his wife, Beverly Heath.

Heath got his nickname from his love of tutti-frutti ice cream, according to the newspaper. He performed for seven decades and made contributions to more than 100 albums.

Heath sat behind the drum kit for many of jazz’s greats from the 1950s, ‘60s and beyond. He collaborated with Herbie Hancock, Benny Golson and Wes Montgomery, according to NPR.

Heath performed with his older brothers — bass player Percy Heath and saxophonist Jimmy Heath — as the Heath Brothers, NPR reported.

The last of their six albums — “Brotherly Jazz: The Heath Brothers” — was a mixture of music, …