Customer Reviews

Ballads Blues & Bey

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
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The opening track of this disc was played for a 'Blindfold Test' panel, at the 2003 Monterey Jazz Festival, that consisted of Kevin Mahagonny, Kurt Elling, Mark Murphy and Jon Hendricks. The audience was spellbound and the singers were unanimous in the special qualities and beauty of Bey's work. But the best way to describe this album was in Mark Murphy's words; "this is the tempo of love."

All the tempos are slow, Bey's own accompaniments spare. He stretches out each tune, but his method is unique; he phrases almost independantly of the tune, but so musically and beautifully that it combines both the tension and release of the melodys all but breaking free from the harmonies, always to return, and of course the sheer expressive beauty of his voice, which is a wonder, but may not be to everyone's taste. It is an instrument, and he thinks instrumentally, unlike pop singers but like all the great jazz singers. In a serious way he is the opposite side of the coin to Betty Carter, each reworking the standard fare to discover the NEW, yet approaching from opposite directions. Cherishable.

Andy Bey's interpretations are original, evocative, and in a few cases haunting. I almost swooned at "Someone to watch over me." Bey redefines mellow -- yet in a few places (like "Yesterdays") he lets an edge creep in, which keeps things from getting mushy or maudlin. He is a class act.

Very difficult to explain what Andy's voice does to and for me. I get the feeling at times that he records only for my personal listening pleasure. After an almost 15 year search, I was finally able to get Andy's first two recordings (albums)on CD. His two sisters accompanied him on both. The first album was entitled "Now hear this" and I forget the title of the second. Point: If you like Andy Bey, you absolutely must hear these recordings. His renditions of Round Midnight, In My Solitude and God Bless The Child are BREATH TAKING, PAINFUL, AND ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE. I'd be happy to share. Thank You

An absolutely one of a kind performer. Subtle and blessed with a remarkable voice Bey delivers a song unlike anyone else I know of. Unhurried, Bey moves through a tune extracting the exact maximum effect from each lyric. Accompanying himself on piano the production is spare and elegant. A great, great singer.

Andy Bey is one of those talents whose story is a more a crime not tragedy (and jazz hsitory is replete with both).His is a survivor in many a sense and beyond all his courage a man of extraordinary range,talent,and feeling.Andy Bey is a singer who was born in 1939.In late 50's he had a band with his two sisters and they recorded and LP.Did do much here in states but they had some popularity in Europe.By the earl 70's when many male (and female) jazz singers gave up he tried to stay in he came and recoded with the likes of Gary Bartz and others.But he was truly an insiders talent and didn't have much opportunity.He tries not to bitter but has every right to be as far as the industry was concerned.

Yet he got a second chance with this 1996 release.I found it the first year I stared running a jazz section at a Hifi shop.I was just blown away from the first song.I am so glad he got this chance when a producer saw him in a club and wondered why he wasn't being recoded.This mark his first recording in 22 years.And it is a sparse gem of just his piano and voice.It is so stripped down and personal I find it another aspect of his courage to expose himself emotionally.I know I use the words "Feeling" and "Pathos" a lot i my reviews but this album would be a great entry into a dictionary for those very words.The tunes he plays:1. Someone to Watch over Me-Gershwin, George
2. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To - Porter, Cole
3. I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart - Ellington, Duke
4. In a Sentimental Mood -Ellington, Duke
5. Willow Weep for Me - Ronell, Ann
6. Yesterdays - Harbach, Otto
7. If You Could See Me Now - Dameron, Tadd
8. I'm Just a Lucky So and So -David, Mack
9. Day Dream - Ellington, Duke
10. Embraceable You - Gershwin, George
They are all delivered with a rough hewn baritone though Bey posses a 4 octave range.Now I know that nobody wants to be stereotyped or sentimentalized so his discovery 2 years before this CD shouldn't give it import "of tragedy" that so many gave to Billie Holiday who prefer her latter period because they "here her pain".Andy might have have reason to be pissed off about the industry (and said so referring to Diana Krall In a NY Times interview saying her reception would be different if she were black.I couldn't agree more thinking she's cheesecake and coquetteish more than a equal talent to those she outsells).But one has to admire the difficulty of being a gay black man in the "macho" world of jazz (to explore that read David Hadju's book "Lush Life,about Billy Strayhorn superb jazz book and one of history and prose in itself).And I wish that everybody who has bigotry towards gays could here him and listen that when Bey sings "She" you could substitute "He" for him or any person.Love is love.It certantly is more real and worthy of recognition and acceptance than having a few ridiculous stereotype characters on television.But again if you didn't know any of this you could listen and just be in awe of his originality combined with a respect for the traditional song and just think him a great talent.I think that for me Bey is the equal of any singer of the past and I put hi among Johnny Hartman (who's good looks and talent should have made his star but his overt sensuality and racism limited him in way's a safe performer like Nat Cole was not limited).Bey had a wonderful follow up Shades Of Bey where he does a beautiful now foten cover of a Nick Drake English modern Folk tune "Riverman".And two more CD's after that. 70 I know he was still gigging last year.And I hope there are many more years.Check the You Tube Andy Bey Television Interview done with Billy Taylor.It's great.I have all his work and think of the gift we got ad try not to concentrate on the forces that kept him form greater success.Because in my mind there is nobody more successful in conveying the emotion of the Great American Songbook than Andy Bey and for that we should be thankful.
Thank you Andy
Chazz

Bey's style and sound are a perfect blend which could make any love -starved poet weep. Lovely, acustic piano playng complements Bey's raw, intimate sound.

This is a beautiful, romantic set of songs. It's very minimal -- just Bey's baritone voice crooning over some delicate piano chords. It's a CD to play when you're having an intimate evening with someone important to you.

I've just listened the track You Don't Know What Love Is from the CD The Searcher by Bob Malach and I've checked a few samples on this page. Conclusion: When you like singers like Joe Williams, Charles Brown and Georgie Fame then this is a disk for you. It is a shame that I can't remember seeing his name listed in any "serious" readers poll.

I happened upon this disk completely by accident in a music store. It was on their sample machine and I put the headphones on to see what it was like. I was hooked.

The sound is smooth and gentle yet full of passion. Bey sweeps you away with his voice and his delightful touch on the piano. Listening to this disk is a joy.

Andy Bey began a comeback with "Shades of Bey", and he continues with all the force and musicality of his shining nature with this warm and witty rendering of the most tender, raw pages from the American songbook. The piano voicings are relaxed and careful, and Bey's voice clearly shines through with all its depth and warmth in a superbly engineered disc that brings forth all the subtlety that makes this CD absolutely captivating. Definitely on par with ballad essentials from Shirley Horn, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves, later Diana Krall, recent Joni Mitchell and dare I say it... Betty Carter. A must-have for any serious jazz ballad vocals lover.