I had the best time last night! I was at The Ridgefield
Playhouse on January 23rd ... just before the projected nation-wide snow
and ice storm. If you ever wonder what the participants of The Happy
Together Tour do when they are not Happily Touring, I am here to help.
At least I will give it a good try.
Tonight, let's explore Jay and the Americans.
This
is the third year I have seen Jay and the Americans between Happy
Together Tours. They have changed and grown each time. Yes, sometimes
from necessity and some from skill and showmanship. Their drummer is
still Rick Van Horn, who moved from Hawaii to New Jersey (?) to accept a
job his wife said he could not refuse. Their musical director and
keyboardist is George Tuzzeo, who has had many musical director positions
and opportunities. So why is he with JATA? They pay him more.
Only In America
Let's Lock The Door
Sunday And Me
Up On The Roof - sung by original member Marty Sanders
She Cried - a dedication to Jay Traynor ... the first "Jay"
Some Enchanted Evening
You've
Lost That Lovin' Feeling - sung by Darren Dowler ... who sang with Bill
Medley as one of The Righteous Brothers ... and Jay Reincke (the third
"Jay") Beautiful
Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison was a good friend of Jay and the Americans ... sung by Jay Reincke, who considers Orbison a hero.
Let It Be Me - sung by Marty Sanders and founding member Sandy Deanne. Always one of the most beautiful performances.
Cara Mia - Jay Black's ("Jay" number two) signature song and sung to match him by Jay Reincke.
Stand By Me - sung by Sandy. Another stunner with a "mic drop." (details if you ask)
Walking In The Rain - a song the Ronettes also recorded. Here is the conversation surrounding this intro.
Voice 1: "We were really, REALLY close to The Ronettes."
"Biblically close!"
Voice 2: "We went to church with them."
Such a Night - another Jay Reincke hero choice ... Elvis
Here
comes "Something New" (sawwwy ... just had to).
Lenie Colacino filled in
for Marty when he was forced to take care of himself for a spell. Now he
is in the USA Band as the bass player. Since every person is showcased,
and Lenie is an original Paul from Beatlemania, we are treated to three
Beatle songs with Lenie moving downstage to Marty's mic.
I Saw Her Standing There
I'll Be Back
Day Tripper
The
harmonies on all three songs are great, but the consensus of which
verse or lyrics we will sing needs work. It doesn't matter if you sing
several different versus or if you repeat the same verse over and over.
It just needs to have everyone on the same page (maybe literally).
Gimme Gimme Good Lovin' - from Crazy Elephants
The
Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore - from Frankie Valli. No really. He gave it
to JATA to record. Unfortunately, as they were recording, it was
shown to them that The Walker Bros. had a version that was climbing
up the charts. Oh go ahead! Record it anyway before Frankie gives it
away to a few more groups.
As
we know, Darren Dowler has joined the group directly from Paul Revere
and the Raiders so let's have him lead us in some Raiders' tunes.
Just Like Me
Kicks - a great upbeat song about kicking drug habits.
Reeling In the Years - Steely Dan, made up of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen who were musicians for JATA for three years until they disappeared one day and emerged later on in CA as Steely Dan. Hey, Becker and Fagen ... it would have been nicer to give notice since JATA saved you from homelessness and gave you a chance. BTW, when Marty told Sandy that this duo had written some really great songs, it was the first, last and only time since meeting Marty at age 13, that he has agreed with him.
Come
A Little Bit Closer - a song that reached #3 in 1964, which is memorable
as the British Invasion had begun and taken over the charts.
This
Magic Moment - This was indeed a magic moment and gets you up to date on
what one band is doing in between Happy Together Tours. The Happy Together
Tour is indeed a delightful time showcasing the hits of several great
acts. But to understand and get to truly appreciate each act, you need
to see them separately in concert where you can get to know them.
Thank you, Marty, Sandy, Jay, Darren, Lenie, George and Rick. See you soon.
AFTER THOUGHT!
When
the concert was ended, I joined the line snaking around the Ladies
Restroom. Two women, 7 or 8 places ahead of me, were talking. Here is what
I heard ...
"There was one song I didn't even know! The last concert they did oldies. I would like more oldies."
The
two moved on and the three women ahead of me, and myself started to
laugh. We looked at each other and one of them said, "ONE song out of
25? That's pretty good!" I couldn't resist. I had to add, "What about
wanting oldies? These songs were from the 60s. How far back do they want
to go?" More laughter.
So, now when you listen to songs from the 1960s, you can consider yourself listening to new releases.
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano
NE Correspondent
Forgotten Hits
