Triple Threat (Jimmy Heath album)
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| Triple Threat | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1962 | |||
| Recorded | January 4 & 7, 1962 New York City | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 37:09 | |||
| Label | Riverside RLP 400 | |||
| Jimmy Heath chronology | ||||
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Triple Threat is the fourth album by saxophonist Jimmy Heath featuring performances recorded in 1962 originally released on the Riverside label.[1]
Triple Threat was a follow-up of Heath's 1961 album The Quota and used the same band.[2][3] The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings considers the lineup, which features Heath's brothers Percy and Albert, a "dry-run" for their later Heath Brothers records.[4] 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.[5]
The song "Gemini" was written for Heath's daughter, Roslyn, whose star sign it was.[2]
The album title was an allusion to Heath's own status as a "triple threat": musician, arranger and composer.[6] In the album liner notes, Ira Gitler 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.[7]
Release and reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [8] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |  [4] |
Cannonball Adderley recorded his own version of "Gemini" only 10 days after Heath's recording.[6] Shortly beforeTriple Threat was released in 1962, Adderley released a record featuring his version which somewhat overshadowed Heath's recording.[9]
Scott Yanow of Allmusic says, "The arrangements of Heath uplift the straightahead music and make each selection seem a bit special".[8] Billboard described the album as one of Heath's best sessions, praising his playing and the "directness, individuality and strength" of the compositions.[10]
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.[2]
