Triple Threat

Triple Threat is the fourth album by saxophonist Jimmy Heath featuring performances recorded in 1962 originally released on the Riverside label. 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 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 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.