Published: July 01, 2009 02:35 pm      

'Great musicians, great voices'

Jay and the Americans in concert July 18 at Arcadia Theater

By TOM LAVIS

TLAVIS@TRIBDEM.COM

Three members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will be taking the stage July 18 at Arcadia Theater in Windber.

The three – Howie Kane, Sandy Deanne and Marty Sanders – were original members of Jay and the Americans between 1962 and 1971.

The group claimed a dozen Top 10 records in a time when the charts were dominated by British performers.

Joining the Hall of Famers in a resurrected Jay and the Americans will be lead singer Jay Reincke, the third “Jay” to sing with the group.

“When groups like The Beatles came from England to take this country by storm, Jay and the Americans were one of the few bands to flourish during the British Invasion,” said Frank Cunsolo, Arcadia chairman and program director. “Having three original members from a group of that era is rare.

“They are great musicians, great voices and great Americans.”

Jay and the Americans – Rock & Roll DooWop will be presented at the theater, 1418 Graham Ave.

“They have recreated the authentic sound of all of their great hits that everyone remembers,” Cunsolo said.

They will perform such memorable songs as “Only in America,” “Come A Little Bit Closer,” “Tonight,” “Cara Mia,” “This Magic Moment” and “She Cried.”

“Their hits show the versatility that made this group so popular through the years,” Cunsolo said. “They demonstrate this by doing a tune like ‘Tonight,’ from the Broadway musical ‘West Side Story,’ to singing songs ‘Only in America’ and ‘Cara Mia,’ which give people goosebumps.”

The orignal group dates back to the late 1950s when it was discovered while performing in student venues at New York University.

In 1968, the group recorded an album of its favorite oldies called “Sands of Time,” which included “This Magic Moment,” originally done by the Drifters.

This was the last Top 10 record for Jay and the Americans.

The band now is in demand on the oldies circuit, performing at casinos, theaters, fairs and festivals.

The group split up in 1973, but the original core group reunited in the 1990s for special performances, most notably the “45 Years of Motown” special on PBS. Jay was featured in the PBS special “Rock, Rhythm and DooWop as “Jay Black & The Americans” in 2001.

In 2006, Black filed for bankruptcy, and his ownership of the name “Jay & The Americans” was sold by the bankruptcy trustee to Deanne for $100,000.

With the name purchase, the three former members reunited and recruited sound-alike singer Reincke and the band returned to playing throughout North America.

Tickets are available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at the box office or by calling 467-9070.

Ticket are $39, $37 and $35.