''Triple Threat'' is the fourth album by saxophonist

Jimmy Heath James Edward Heath (October 25, 1926 – January 19, 2020), nicknamed Little Bird, was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader. He was the brother of bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert Heath. Biography Heath w ...

featuring performances recorded in 1962 originally released on the Riverside label.Riverside Records discography
accessed October 23, 2012

Recording

''Triple Threat'' was a follow-up of Heath's 1961 album ''The Quota'' and used the same band. ''

The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which were (at the time of publication) currently available in Europe or the United States. The first nine editions were compiled ...

'' considers the lineup, which features Heath's brothers Percy and Albert, a "dry-run" for their later Heath Brothers records. The album was recorded over two sessions in January 1962. Freddie Hubbard and Julius Watkins were not present for the second session when "The More I See You" was recorded. The song "Gemini" was written for Heath's daughter, Roslyn, whose star sign it was. The album title was an allusion to Heath's own status as a "triple threat": musician, arranger and composer. In the album liner notes,

Ira Gitler Ira Gitler (December 18, 1928 – February 23, 2019) was an American jazz historian and journalist. The co-author of ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'' with Leonard Feather—the most recent edition appeared in 1999—he wrote hundreds of ...

described Heath in the following way:

The triple threat in football must pass, punt, and run on a high level. Musically, Jimmy Heath approximates this by his composing, arranging and playing, all of which are ably and amply demonstrated here.

Release and reception

Cannonball Adderley recorded his own version of "Gemini" only 10 days after Heath's recording. Shortly before''Triple Threat'' was released in 1962, Adderley released a record featuring his version which somewhat overshadowed Heath's recording. Scott Yanow of

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

says, "The arrangements of Heath uplift the straightahead music and make each selection seem a bit special".Yanow, S
Allmusic Review
accessed October 23, 2012 Billboard described the album as one of Heath's best sessions, praising his playing and the "directness, individuality and strength" of the compositions. In his autobiography, Heath, a Philadelphian, recalls his pride that he was gaining recognition in his hometown upon reading a positive review of the album in the '' Philadelphia Daily News''.

Track listing

''All compositions by Jimmy Heath except as indicated'' # "Gemini" - 6:09 # "Bruh Slim" - 5:16 # "

Goodbye Goodbye, Good bye, or Good-bye is a parting phrase and may refer to: Film * ''Goodbye'' (1918 film), a British drama directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Goodbye'' (1995 film) (''Tot Ziens!''), a Dutch film directed by Heddy Honigmann * ''Goodbye'' ...

" (

Gordon Jenkins Gordon Hill Jenkins (May 12, 1910 – May 1, 1984) was an American arranger, composer, and pianist who was influential in popular music in the 1940s and 1950s. Jenkins worked with The Andrews Sisters, Johnny Cash, The Weavers, Frank Sinatra, Lo ...

) - 7:04 # "Dew and Mud" - 5:01 # " Make Someone Happy" ( Jule Styne,

Betty Comden Betty Comden (May 3, 1917 - November 23, 2006) was an American lyricist, playwright, and screenwriter who contributed to numerous Hollywood musicals and Broadway shows of the mid-20th century. Her writing partnership with Adolph Green spanned ...

Adolph Green Adolph Green (December 2, 1914 – October 23, 2002) was an American lyricist and playwright who, with long-time collaborator Betty Comden, penned the screenplays and songs for some of the most beloved film musicals, particularly as part of Ar ...

) - 3:41 # "

The More I See You "The More I See You" is a popular song composed by Harry Warren, with lyrics by Mack Gordon. The song was first published in 1945. Other recordings "The More I See You" has been subsequently recorded by many artists, notably by: * Bing Crosby ...

" ( Harry Warren,

Mack Gordon Mack Gordon (born Morris Gittler; June 21, 1904 – February 28, 1959) was an American composer and lyricist for the stage and film. He was nominated for the best original song Oscar nine times in 11 years, including five consecutive years betwee ...

) - 4:18 # "Prospecting" - 5:40

Personnel

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while ...

* Freddie Hubbard -

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

Julius Watkins Julius Watkins (October 10, 1921 – April 4, 1977) was an American jazz musician who played French horn. Described by AllMusic as "virtually the father of the jazz French horn", Watkins won the ''Down Beat'' critics poll in 1960 and 1961 for M ...

French horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most ...

* Cedar Walton -

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

Percy Heath Percy Heath (April 30, 1923 – April 28, 2005) was an American jazz bassist, brother of saxophonist Jimmy Heath and drummer Albert Heath, with whom he formed the Heath Brothers in 1975. Heath played with the Modern Jazz Quartet throughout ...

- bass * Albert Heath - drums

References

{{Authority control Riverside Records albums Jimmy Heath albums 1962 albums