It’s not easy being Jay.
Jay Traynor was the first Jay, of Jay and the Americans. In the early ‘60s, he sang lead on the group’s hits “Tonight” and “She Cried.”
Next up was Jay Black, the Jay everyone remembers. Black was the domineering voice on such best sellers as “Come A Little Bit Closer,” “Only in America,” “Let’s Lock the Door” and the classic operatic rocker “Cara Mia.”
Jay “Jay#3” came along about nine years ago and had big shoes to fill. Reincke filled them just right Monday evening during two sold-out shows at the Savannah Center.
Watch exclusive video of the performance here:
“When Jay#3 joined the group people had a lot of questions,” said Sandy Deanne, founding member of Jay and the Americans, who performed here with two other originals: Howie Kane and Marty Sanders. “People wondered if Jay#3 could hit the big note. Well, Jay#3 answered those questions and you’re going to hear him hit the big notes tonight.”
The real challenge for any Jay is “Cara Mia.”
Jay Black put his personal stamp on one of the most unique songs in rock history. “Cara Mia” features a steady beat that turns into an operatic solo, with a vocal mix of tenor/baritone.
Jay#3 didn’t quite match Black’s vocal acrobatics but he was close. Jay#3 hit the high notes and made them last, and earned a loud ovation.
The group, wearing an outfit of red-white and blue shirts with white slacks, started out with a couple of Jay and the Americans favorites: “Only in America,” and “Let’s Lock the Door.”
Those songs captured the essence of what made the group so popular in the mid and late 1960s: harmony, a rocking beat and the kind of music that made you feel good and want to dance.
“I always liked Jay and the Americans,” said Villager Tony Alger, who attended the concert with his wife, Hope. “To me they are kind of a transitional group. They took the doo-wop and harmony from the ‘50s and added some harder rock that came along in the ‘60s.
“They had great harmony and great voices. ‘Cara Mia’ is a special song, it is like opera. I could always identify with ‘Come A Little Bit Closer.’ It’s a great song.”
Hope Alger admits she likes hard rock and roll and lists the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin among her favorite bands. “Tony introduced me to Jay and the Americans and I like their music,” she said. “They sing so well together and the songs they made hold up really well.”
During the show, Jay and the Americans offered their take on such oldies as “Save the Last Dance For Me,” and “Teenager in Love” as a tribute to songwriter Doc Pomus.
Another tribute was offered to Roy Orbison.
“I think he’s one of the greatest voices in rock and roll,” Jay#3 said. He then offered a trio of Orbison standards: “Crying,” “Only the Lonely” and “Pretty Woman.”
