Heath was born in Philadelphia, and grew up in a musical family. In the 1940s his band was a fixture on the Philadelphia circuit, and featured John Coltrane. Heath earned the nickname ‘Little Bird’, and played with many jazz luminaries such as Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis. He was a prolific composer and wrote over 125 pieces, many of which have become jazz standards. Heath recorded several albums with his siblings as The Heath Brothers. A giant in jazz history, Jimmy Heath also notably lent his saxophone to Bill Clinton during a concert at the White House.