A Double Shot Of Joe Saye

 

Wonderful Wonderful

A Double Shot Of Joe Saye

Recorded in New York City, July 21 and 25, 1958

Supervison: Jack Tracy

Mercury SR 80022

Joe Saye - Piano

Spencer Sinatra - Flute

Barry Galbraith - Guitar

John Drew - Bass

Jimmy Campell - Drums (Walter Bolden replaces Campbell on Tenement Symphony)

From the back cover: On hearing this album, it is not difficult to see that Joe Saye has been well-grounded in classical music. Of course, I know this anyway, since I have known Joe personally and professionally since the early '40s.

I have never known anyone with a greater sense of humor in my entire life. No one is more capable of laughing through trail and tribulation than Joe. Being completely without sight, he is very partial to practical jokes, which are idiosyncratic to blind people. He will ask a friend what color shirt someone is wearing, then later, in conversation with that person, will compliment or disparage the shirt, giving the color.

Musically, he has enough good taste to exclude jazz where it should be excluded. These Scotch compositions he features give him a real identity – something which is of the utmost importance to every group. His accent, both personally and musically, is Scotch. There are three adaptation of Scottish folk tunes. A Double Shot is adapted from the reel, Mrs. McLead; Scot Free is adapted from the reel, Rosy O'More; Heather Hop is adapted from The Inverness Gathering.

All the arrangements are made by Joe, and a great deal of skill is shown by obtaining the maximum of tone color and the fullest and most satisfactory musical sound from a group which, because of its size, must necessarily be limited to tone color. The standards round out a most tasteful album. A Double Shot (the album title), was the brainchild of Dakota Staton, a great new singing sensation with whom Joe has worked considerably.

The personnel of the group consists of Spencer Sinatra, flute and alto flute; Barry Galbraith, guitar; John Drew, bass and Jimmy Campbell, drums. On the Tenement Symphony track, Walter Bolden is playing drums. Light Tread, a composition by Joe Saye, and Scot Free are performed without drums. – George Shearing

From Billboard - September 14, 1959: Tasty jazz treatments of standard show tunes laced with originals by the pianist. Group includes piano, rhythm section and flute. The "originals" are Scotch-oriented and based on traditional Scottish tunes. Nice stereo effects are achieved. But the tasty arrangements are the big attraction here.

No Two People

Scot Free

Younger Than Springtime

Heather Hop

Wonderful Wonderful

Tenement Symphony

Double Shot

Let's Call The Whole Thing Off

Light Tread

The Blue Moon

If I Were A Bell