Wednesday’s show features Jazz singer & pianist Andy Bey. Growing up in Newark, New Jersey, Bey was the youngest of nine children. He comes from a musical family, and by the time he was five years old, Bey’s sisters and parents were sneaking him into Newark clubs to perform. During his childhood, Bey was able to play with some of his idols, such as Dinah Washington, Max Roach and Sarah Vaughan.
He released his first solo album in 1974, titled ‘Experience and Judgement,’ and it would be 22 years later until he released another. After doing some vocal teaching in Austria, Bey recorded the album, ‘Ballads, Blues & Bey’ in 1996.
Critics and fans responded enthusiastically to the album, and soon the Jazz world began paying more attention to Andy Bey. Bey’s latest album, ‘Ain’t Necessarily So’ is the fifth in a successful string of solo CDs and it’s his first CD that was recorded live. This latest release is unusual, in that it was recorded at New York’s Birdland back in 1997.
‘Ain’t Necessarily So’ captures Andy Bey at a moment of resurgence. Recorded just a year after ‘Ballads, Blues & Bey’ was released, Bey sounds energized, focused and polished on this latest record. After years of study, practice, perseverance and hard work, Andy Bey is finally being lauded as one of our greatest Jazz singers.
The music of Andy Bey and stories of his life, Wednesday on The Bob Edwards Show.
-Dan Bloom
Andy Bey’s website
Andy Bey on Myspace
New York Times review of a recent performance
New York Sun review of "Ain’t Necessarily So"