[5] In the 1970s he performed with Toshiko Akiyoshi, Count Basie, Louie Bellson, John Collins, Joe Henderson, Ahmad Jamal, Blue Mitchell and Oscar Peterson.
[6] In 1979 he recorded with the Oscar Peterson Septet, playing on the Original Score From The Silent Partner, in 1979 with the Clark Terry Sextet on Yes, The Blues and the Zoot Sims Quintet on Passion.
In the early 1970s he worked with guitarist Pat Martino, playing on his Desperado, Prestige and Consciousness albums.
[11][12] Their 1983 album, Heard Ranier Ferguson was released on ITI Records, a California based label founded by Michael Dion.
[15] It was announced on the Jazz Monthly website in 2012 that their album along with others by Ruth Price, Tom Garvin, Bill Mays and Red Mitchell were to be re-released that year as the ITI Records back catalogue was being released through Warrant Music.
[16] John Heard, by 1980 having recorded with artists such as Tete Montoliu, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Art Pepper, Clark Terry, Pharoah Sanders, Zoot Sims and Joe Williams,[17] He announced his retirement from music in favor of pursuing his art career.
[19] In 2005, his album The Jazz Composer's Songbook was released on Straight Ahead Records and produced by Stewart Levine and mastered by Bernie Grundman.