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36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gorgeous. Just gorgeous., April 23, 2004
Forgive me and indulge me, dear reader, while I gush a bit....
As I was saying just the other day viz. Cheryl Bentyne's "Talk of the Town", there's nothing wrong with doing an album of standards from the "Great American Songbook" that have been done a bazillion times before--provided they're sensational.
Along comes this album. These are standards, done a bazillion times before (leaning heavily towards Duke and Billy). They are, in fact, sensational--and so is Andy Bey.
If you're not familiar with him, Andy Bey is one of the most remarkable non-classical singers around. He has three vocal ranges--not two, like most singers. His mid-range has a soulful vibrato, his high-range has the power of a Verdi baritone, and his low range comes from a submarine. All three are as equally clear. Check out "Never Let Me Go" (mid-range), the second chorus of "Speak Low" (high range) and "Midnight Sun" (low range), and you'll hear exactly what I'm talking about. Then check out "Satin Doll", where in the one phrase "Switcharoonie", he glisses through all three. He's incredible.
And the arrangements! Oh, my Lord! Here, "Angel Eyes" is done with just Andy, acoustic guitar and percussion--perfect instrumentation for the selling of a quintessentially sad song. Then, you have the most original cover of "Caravan" since Lambert, Hendricks & Ross; "sinewy" sort of begins to describe it. Aided by a terrific horns chart of Geri Allen's, you can hear the "aurora borealis" Andy sings about in "Midnight Sun." Then, in "It's Only a Paper Moon," on the first chorus he sells the song as smoothly as Nat King Cole; but on the second chorus he sounds as soulful as James Brown. And, I guarantee you, you've never heard "Speak Low" performed like this! (Just for fun, get the Michael Crawford album that has "Speak Low" on it, and play that cut, then play this one. You'll be amazed at how a great cabaret singer and a great jazz singer can make the very same song so uniquely his own in two disparate styles).
It's April, so I know it's premature to say that this is the best vocal album of 2004. But I can't imagine who or what is going to top this. I can say that this is in my top 10 of the past 20 years, already.
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Magician Is Back!, March 6, 2004
It's a shame that one of Jazz' great male vocalists is still living in relative obscurity but that hasn't stopped his core following from eagerly anticipating each release.Many may question the point of yet another interpretation of the Great American Songbook. However, this CD exemplifies that true jazz artistry lies in telling old stories in a fresh new way. Here, Andy's collaboration with Gerri Allen has yielded some magical moments, covering uncharted territory in otherwise well-worn standards. His luxuriously rich baritone, supported by a superb musician cast, is reaching a level of emotional quality that breathes new life to material interpreted to death by countless others. The quality and wit of the arrangements makes it difficult to pick one song over the other. With his trademark understated intensity, Andy imbues so much feeling into each song that it's hard to have "American Song" playing as mere background music. My personal favorite is Weil's "Speak Low": It begins with his familiar intimate vocal stylings, but finds unexpected heights with some blues-infused belting, which adds a seldom-heard aching quality to the lyrics. Since "Ballads, Blues and Bey", every CD seems to be called Andy's comeback album. Truth is, he never went away. Andy clearly has the respect of his peers; he won the "2003 Jazz Vocalist of the Year" award by the Jazz Journalists Association. Always on the verge of greater recognition, "American Song" may now become his well-deserved public breakthrough.
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A true singer's singer ...why is he not better known?, March 6, 2004
I just happened to pick this CD up out of curiosity and am embarrassed to admit that I hadn't heard of Andy Bey before. Comparisons to the life and career of a Little Jimmy Scott come to mind, and I hope that Mr. Bey will soon receive just recognition.Listening to "American Song" will make you forget about the easy listening attempts of a Rod Stewart or a Cindy Lauper - this is the real deal! A phenomenally rich and supple voice paired with exceptional musicianship. To me, true Jazz singing was always about conveying sincere emotion, and Andy Bey gives you the heart and soul of each single tune. Sick and tired of anemic "lounge"? Treat yourself to this gem! It won't leave your CD player anytime soon and it's a must for any serious jazz collection.
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by Andy Bey 
