In thinking about ways to describe world-class vocalist/keyboardist Andy Bey's new recording, Shades Of Bey (Evidence/12th Street 22215), the concept of blending opposites comes to mind. Mr. Bey manages to be simultaneously sophisticated and earthy, spare and complex. His four-octave range and facility for engaging all the dimensions of his variable and deeply affecting baritone have thrilled fans and peers since the early 1950's, infusing recordings with an exhilarating energy while soothing with his intimate tone.

The New York Times wrote that "Andy Bey isn't your typically ingrati-ating jazz singer/pianist; in performance, his extraordinary talent can seem protected in a glass museum case, resting on a pillow. And his sense of pacing asks that you travel at least halfway toward him." If the reception of Andy Bey's first solo recording in 22 years, Ballads, Blues & Bey (Evidence 22162), was any indicator, audiences and critics are meeting Mr. Bey more than halfway. This evolving interest should develop further with the upcoming release of Shades Of Bey, which will be out on September 29.

While Shades Of Bey is rooted in the jazz tradition, it is also a creative melding of more experimental styles and personal growth. As The New York Times suggests, the new material is "kaleidoscopic in mood and breaking free of all genres." Examples include Brazilian underpinnings of the first and last songs on the album and the atmospheric lacing of strings and vocals on the treatment of Nick Drake's folk song "River Man." Bey's frolicking tongue-twisting lends the groove a hand on Thelonious Monk's "Straight, No Chaser." Says Mr. Bey, "I don't get to do a lot of scatting, and really enjoyed playing with the vocals on this track." Mr. Bey also lends his own thoughtful, nocturnal touch to numbers such as "Midnight Blue," "Dark Shadows" and "Some Other Time." The songs on Shades Of Bey range from dynamic to intimate, showcasing Bey's vocal strengths and delivery. Strayhorn's "Blood Count" contemplates the essence of one's existence. Tracks such as "Like A Lover," "Pretty Girl" and the Afro-Cuban lullaby "Drume Negrita" are studies in warm, rich vocal statements.

When Andy Bey talks about the experience of making Shades Of Bey, it is obvious that this project was labor intensive as well as a labor of love. Mr. Bey welcomed the opportunity to showcase a selection which draws from his considerable artistic reservoir. "I enjoyed working with the new material," remarks Mr. Bey. "It was challenging to venture out into areas usually not considered for a jazz vocalist." The multitude of styles on Shades Of Bey will appeal to a wider audience, newcomers and veteran jazz fans alike.

Music has always been central to Mr. Bey's life. A child prodigy, Andy began playing piano at the age of three, entertaining his eight siblings with rambunctious boogie-woogie tunes. By age 12, Andy had performed with Louis Jordan in 1952 at The Apollo in Harlem. He appeared regularly through his teen years on TV programs such as "Star Times Kids" and "Spotlight on Harlem," often performing opposite legendary jazz figures such as Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington. When Andy was 18 years old, he left the Arts High School in Newark, N.J. in the middle of his senior year, and with his sisters Geraldine and Salome became "Andy and the Bey Sisters." The trio headed for the vibrant music scene in Miami, playing at Cotton Club-style revues, eventually moving on to perform in Tampa.

When they returned to New York City several months later, Andy and the Bey Sisters tried out for a series of auditions to win club gigs in Europe. The trio won an opportunity to tour Spain and England for what was supposed to be several weeks but resulted in a whirlwind of shows in Europe that lasted from September 1958 until January 1960.

The trio played major clubs in Europe, but the majority of their time abroad was spent in Versailles at The Blue Angel and in Paris at The Blue Note, where they were a featured act. Andy and the Bey Sisters made the recordings Andy and the Bey Sisters (RCA, 1961), Now Hear (Prestige, 1964) and 'Round Midnight (Prestige, 1965), all of which are presently out of print. "We were a class act," says Mr. Bey of his tenure with his sisters, which is apparent in the archival footage in which they appear in "Let's Get Lost" (1989), a documentary Bruce Weber directed about Chet Baker. In the film, you can witness the "classy" trio performing in their stylish attire at a party given by film director Roger Vadim, a slice of late 1950's Parisian fête. Discovered by jazz aficionado and entrepreneur George Wein in 1960, Andy Bey and his sisters returned to the U.S., where they performed at festivals and various club gigs. After ten years together, the trio disbanded in May 1966. Andy spent a lengthy amount of time recording with Gary Bartz (Harlem Bush Music: Uhuru, Taifa, Juju Street Songs) and Horace Silver (That Healin' Feelin', Total Response, All), their seminal 1970's recordings.

Andy continued to perform as a featured vocalist with Horace Silver throughout the 1970's and into the 1980's, and was often asked to play clubs around the world from Japan to Brazil. In 1991, Andy was asked to teach vocal instruction in Graz, Austria, where he taught from 1991-1993 until returning to the U.S. to record what would be his comeback album, Ballads, Blues & Bey (Evidence, 1996).

Since the recordings with his sisters in the 1960's, Mr. Bey has appeared primarily with other performers such as Max Roach, McCoy Tyner, Lonnie Liston Smith, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Duke Pearson, Deirdre Murray, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Frank Foster and Eddie Harris, in addition to Horace Silver and Gary Bartz. His 1973 recording for Atlantic Records, Experience And Judgment, though never widely available, was considered a breakthrough recording, with tracks such as "Celestial Blues" (Andy wrote the trademark bassline that is often sampled) and "Tune Up" becoming favorites for sampling by various rap and R&B artists such as DJ Dye and U.K.-based R&B singer Caren Wheeler. Andy has also been active in musical theatre since 1973, when he debuted as the voice of "God" in the off-Broadway production of "Holy Moses." He continued to appear in various avant-garde productions throughout the 1980's and early 1990's, including projects with pianist Cecil Taylor and Deirdre Murray's music/theatre piece, "Unending Pain."

Since the acclaim of Ballads, Blues & Bey in 1996, much attention has been paid to the fact that Mr. Bey had not recorded as a leader in over two decades. His absence, as Newsday put it, "was like having Ella Fitzgerald take a vow of silence." With Shades Of Bey, Andy Bey exhibits the finest work of a career that is constantly evolving. "I have always wanted to take risks," says Mr. Bey. "In order to find satisfaction, the music has to breathe a certain way; improvisation is very important to me. I am always learning more about my singing and playing."

Andy Bey has become an icon to the next generation of jazz singers, many of whom attend his performances to witness a skilled and charismatic artist who at the age of 59 is still honing his craft. As one journalist wrote, "With Bey back in business, the gods are surely smiling on us now."

"How could such a talent have been overlooked? The truth is that Mr. Bey has been steadily cultivating his gift outside of the commercial mainstream. He has always chosen to operate in an environment where he could examine his own heart, listen to his muse without obstruction and pursue his artistic impulses." -- Margaret Jordan