Billy Higgins

Biography

Higgins was born in Los Angeles. Higgins played on Ornette Coleman's first records, beginning in 1958. He then freelanced extensively with hard bop and other post-bop players, including Donald Byrd, Dexter Gordon, Grant Green, Joe Henderson, Paul Horn, Milt Jackson, Jackie McLean, Pat Metheny, Hank Mobley, Thelonious Monk, Lee Morgan, David Murray, Art Pepper, Sonny Rollins, Mal Waldron, and Cedar Walton. He was one of the house drummers for Blue Note Records and played on dozens of Blue Note albums of the 1960s.

In his career, he played on over 700 recordings, including recordings of rock and funk. He appeared as a jazz drummer in the 2001 movie Southlander.

In 1989, Higgins cofounded a cultural center, The World Stage, in Los Angeles to encourage and promote younger jazz musicians. The center provides workshops in performance and writing, as well as concerts and recordings. Higgins also taught in the jazz studies program at the University of California, Los Angeles.

He was divorced from wife Mauricina Altier Higgins and had three sons, William, Joseph, and David, as well as a stepson Jody. His youngest son Benjamin resides in Los Angeles. He also had two daughters, Rickie Wade and Heidi. He died of kidney and liver failure on May 3, 2001 at a hospital in Inglewood, California.

As leader

1979: Soweto (Red)

1979: The Soldier (Timeless, [1981])

1980 Once More (Red)

1984: Mr. Billy Higgins (Evidence)

1980-86: Bridgework (Contemporary)

1994: ¾ for Peace (Red)

1997: Billy Higgins Quintet (Evidence)

2001: The Best of Summer Nights at Moca (Exodus)

As a sideman

With Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt

God Bless Jug and Sonny (Prestige, 1973 [2001])

Left Bank Encores (Prestige, 1973 [2001])

With Robert Stewart (saxophonist)

Judgement (World Stage, 1994 / Red Records, 1997)

The Movement (Exodus, 2002)

With Chris Anderson

Blues One (DIW, 1991)

With Gary Bartz

Libra (Milestone, 1968)

With Paul Bley

Live at the Hilcrest Club 1958 (Inner City, 1958 [1976])

Coleman Classics Volume 1 (Improvising Artists, 1958 [1977])

With Sandy Bull

Fantasias for Guitar and Banjo (Vanguard, 1963)

Inventions (Vanguard, 1965)

With Jaki Byard

On the Spot! (Prestige, 1967)

With Donald Byrd

Royal Flush (Blue Note, 1961)

Free Form (Blue Note, 1962)

Blackjack (Blue Note, 1967)

Slow Drag (Blue Note, 1967)

With Joe Castro

Groove Funk Soul (Atlantic, 1959)

With Don Cherry

Brown Rice (EMI, 1975)

Art Deco (A&M, 1988)

With Sonny Clark

Leapin' and Lopin' (Blue Note, 1961)

With George Coleman

Amsterdam After Dark (Timeless, 1979)

With Ornette Coleman

Something Else!!!! (Contemporary, 1958)

The Shape of Jazz to Come (Atlantic, 1959)

Change of the Century (Atlantic, 1959)

The Art of the Improvisers (Atlantic, 1959)

To Whom Who Keeps a Record (Warner, 1959–60)

Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation (Atlantic, 1961)

Twins (Atlantic, 1961)

Science Fiction (Columbia, 1971)

In All Languages (Caravan of Dreams, 1987)

With John Coltrane

Like Sonny (Roulette, 1960)

With Junior Cook

Somethin's Cookin' (Muse, 1981)

With Bill Cosby

Hello, Friend: To Ennis With Love (Verve, 1997)

With Stanley Cowell

Regeneration (Strata East, 1976)

With Ray Drummond

The Essence (DMP, 1985)

With Teddy Edwards

Sunset Eyes (Pacific Jazz, 1960)

Teddy's Ready! (Contemporary, 1960)

Nothin' But the Truth! (Prestige, 1966)

Wise in Time (Storyville, 1978) with Howard McGhee

With Booker Ervin

Tex Book Tenor (Blue Note, 1968)

With Art Farmer

Homecoming (Mainstream, 1971)

Yesterday's Thoughts (East Wind, 1975)

To Duke with Love (East Wind, 1975)

The Summer Knows (East Wind, 1976)

Art Farmer Quintet at Boomers (East Wind, 1976)

With Curtis Fuller

Smokin' (Mainstream, 1972)

With Stan Getz

Cal Tjader-Stan Getz Sextet (1958, Fantasy) with Cal Tjader

With Dexter Gordon

Go (Blue Note, 1962)

A Swingin' Affair (Blue Note, 1962)

Clubhouse (Blue Note, 1965 – released 1979)

Gettin' Around (Blue Note, 1965)

Tangerine (Prestige, 1972 [1975])

Generation (Prestige, 1972)

Something Different (SteepleChase, 1975 [1980])

Bouncin' with Dex (SteepleChase, 1976)

The Other Side of Round Midnight (Blue Note, 1985)

With Grant Green

First Session (Blue Note, 1961)

Goin' West (Blue Note, 1962)

Feelin' the Spirit (Blue Note, 1962)

With Charlie Haden

Quartet West (Verve, 1986)

Silence (Soul Note, 1987)

The Private Collection (Naim, 1987-88 [2000])

First Song (Soul Note, 1990 [1992])

With Slide Hampton

Roots (Criss Cross, 1985)

With Herbie Hancock

Takin' Off (Blue Note, 1962)

Round Midnight (soundtrack) (Columbia, 1985)

With Barry Harris

Bull's Eye! (Prestige, 1968)

With Eddie Harris

The In Sound (Atlantic, 1965)

Mean Greens (Atlantic, 1966)

The Tender Storm (Atlantic, 1966)

Excursions (Atlantic, 1966–73)

How Can You Live Like That? (Atlantic, 1976)

With Jimmy Heath

Love and Understanding (Muse, 1973)

The Time and the Place (Landmark, 1974 [1994])

Picture of Heath (Xanadu, 1975)

With Joe Henderson

Mirror Mirror (MPS, 1980)

With Andrew Hill

Dance with Death (Blue Note, 1968 – not released until 1980)

With Richard "Groove" Holmes

Get Up & Get It! (Prestige, 1967)

With Paul Horn

Something Blue (HiFi Jazz, 1960)

With Freddie Hubbard

Bolivia (Music Master, 1991)

With Bobby Hutcherson

Stick-Up (Blue Note, 1969)

Solo / Quartet (Contemporary, 1982)

Farewell Keystone (Theresa, 1982 [1988])

With J. J. Johnson

Pinnacles (Milestone, 1980)

With Hank Jones and Dave Holland

The Oracle (EmArcy, 1990)

With Sam Jones

Seven Minds (East Wind Records, 1974)

Cello Again (Xanadu, 1976)

With Clifford Jordan

Soul Fountain (Vortex, 1966 [1970])

Glass Bead Games (Strata-East, 1974)

Night of the Mark VII (Muse, 1975)

On Stage Vol. 1 (SteepleChase, 1975 [1977])

On Stage Vol. 2 (SteepleChase, 1975 [1978])

On Stage Vol. 3 (SteepleChase, 1975 [1979])

Firm Roots (Steeplechase, 1975)

The Highest Mountain (Steeplechase, 1975)

With Fred Katz

Fred Katz and his Jammers (Decca, 1959)

With Steve Lacy

Evidence (New Jazz, 1962) with Don Cherry

With Charles Lloyd

Acoustic Masters I (Atlantic, 1993)

Voice in the Night (ECM, 1999)

The Water Is Wide (ECM, 2000)

Hyperion with Higgins (ECM, 2001, released posthumously)

Which Way Is East (ECM, 2004, released posthumously)

With Pat Martino

The Visit! (Cobblestone, 1972) also released as Footprints

With Jackie McLean

A Fickle Sonance (Blue Note, 1961)

Let Freedom Ring Blue Note, 1962)

Vertigo (Blue Note, 1962-63)

Action Action Action (Blue Note, 1964)

Consequence (Blue Note, 1965 [2005])

New and Old Gospel (Blue Note, 1967)

With Charles McPherson

The Quintet/Live! (Prestige, 1966)

Horizons (Prestige, 1968)

Today's Man (Mainstream, 1973)

With Pat Metheny

Rejoicing (ECM, 1983)

With Toninho Horta

Once I Loved (Verve, 1992)

With Blue Mitchell

Bring It Home to Me (Blue Note, 1966)

With Red Mitchell

Presenting Red Mitchell (Contemporary, 1957)

With Hank Mobley

The Turnaround (Blue Note, 1965)

Dippin' (Blue Note, 1965)

A Caddy for Daddy (Blue Note, 1965)

A Slice of the Top (Blue Note, 1966 [1979])

Hi Voltage (Blue Note, 1967)

Third Season (Blue Note, 1967)

Far Away Lands (Blue Note, 1967)

Reach Out! (Blue Note, 1968)

Breakthrough! (Muse, 1972) with Cedar Walton

Straight No Filter (Blue Note, 1964-66 [1980])

With Thelonious Monk

Thelonious Monk at the Blackhawk (Riverside, 1960)

With Tete Montoliu

Secret Love (Timeless, 1977)

Live at the Keystone Corner (Timeless, 1979 [1981])

With Lee Morgan

The Sidewinder (Blue Note, 1963)

Search for the New Land (Blue Note, 1964)

The Rumproller (Blue Note, 1965)

The Gigolo (Blue Note, 1965)

Cornbread (Blue Note, 1965)

Infinity (Blue Note, 1965 [1980])

Delightfulee (Blue Note, 1966)

Charisma (Blue Note, 1966)

The Rajah (Blue Note, 1966 [1984])

Sonic Boom (Blue Note, 1967 [1979])

The Sixth Sense (Blue Note, 1967–68)

The Procrastinator (Blue Note, 1967 [1978])

Taru (Blue Note, 1968 [1980])

Caramba! (Blue Note, 1968)

With Bheki Mseleku

Star Seeding (Polygram Records, 1995)

With David Murray

Live at Sweet Basil Volume 1 (Black Saint, 1984)

Live at Sweet Basil Volume 2 (Black Saint, 1984)

With Horace Parlan

Happy Frame of Mind (Blue Note, 1963)

With Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen

Jaywalkin' (SteepleChase, 1975)

Double Bass (SteepleChase, 1976) with Sam Jones

With Art Pepper

So in Love (Artists House, 1979)

Artworks (Galaxy, 1979 [1984])

Landscape (Galaxy, 1979)

Besame Mucho (JVC, 1979 [1981])

Straight Life (Galaxy, 1979)

Art 'n' Zoot (Pablo, 1981 [1995]) with Zoot Sims

With Dave Pike

It's Time for Dave Pike (Riverside, 1961)

With Jimmy Raney

The Influence (Xanadu, 1975)

With Sonny Red

Sonny Red (Mainstream, 1971)

With Freddie Redd

Live at the Studio Grill (1987)

With Joshua Redman

Wish (1993)

With Red Rodney

The Red Tornado (Muse, 1975)

With Sonny Rollins

Our Man in Jazz (RCA Victor, 1965)

There Will Never Be Another You (recorded 1965 released 1978)

With Charlie Rouse

Bossa Nova Bacchanal (Blue Note, 1965)

With Hilton Ruiz

Piano Man (SteepleChase, 1975)

With Pharoah Sanders

Rejoice (Theresa, 1981)

With John Scofield

Works for Me (Verve, 2001)

With Shirley Scott

One for Me (Strata-East, 1974)

With Archie Shepp

Attica Blues (Impulse!, 1972)

With Sonny Simmons

Rumasuma (Contemporary, 1969)

With Sonny Stitt

Blues for Duke (Muse, 1975 [1978])

With Idrees Sulieman

Now Is the Time (SteepleChase, 1976)

With Sun Ra

Somewhere Else (Rounder, 1988–89)

Blue Delight (A&M, 1989)

With Cecil Taylor

Jumpin' Punkins (Candid, 1961)

New York City R&B (Candid, 1961)

With Bobby Timmons

Soul Food (Prestige, 1966)

Got to Get It! (Milestone, 1967)

With Mal Waldron

Up Popped the Devil (Enja, 1973)

One Entrance, Many Exits (Palo Alto, 1982)

With Cedar Walton

Cedar! (Prestige, 1967)

Eastern Rebellion (Timeless, 1976) with George Coleman & Sam Jones

The Pentagon (East Wind, 1976)

Eastern Rebellion 2 (Timeless, 1977) with Bob Berg & Sam Jones

First Set (SteepleChase, 1977 [1978])

Second Set (SteepleChase, 1977 [1979])

Third Set (SteepleChase, 1977 [1982])

Eastern Rebellion 3 (Timeless, 1980) with Curtis Fuller, Bob Berg & Sam Jones

The Maestro (Muse, 1981)

Among Friends (Theresa, 1982 [1989])

Eastern Rebellion 4 (Timeless, 1984) with Curtis Fuller, Bob Berg, Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros & David Williams

Cedar's Blues (Red, 1985)

The Trio 1 (Red, 1985)

The Trio 2 (Red, 1985)

The Trio 3 (Red, 1985)

Cedar Walton (Timeless, 1985)

Bluesville Time (Criss Cross Jazz, 1985)

Cedar Walton Plays (Delos, 1986)

As Long as There's Music (Muse, 1990 [1993])

Manhattan Afternoon (Criss Cross Jazz, 1992)

With Don Wilkerson

The Texas Twister (1960)

Preach Brother! (1962)

With David Williams

Up Front (Timeless, 1987)

With Jack Wilson

Easterly Winds (Blue Note, 1967)