Andy Bey & Bey Sisters
There's never been a jazz vocal group quite like Andy Bey and the Bey Sisters, because there's never been one with such strong individual sounds. Andy Bey's wide-ranging voice has all the plummy richness ofBilly Eckstine, Salome has the depth and power of a great gospel singer, and Geraldine, with a lighter and less distinctive touch, is just fine at singing high leads in the group passages. What's most surprising is that those voices are as flexible as they are powerful, able to match jazz sophistication and rhythmic subtlety with the power and urgency of R&B; and gospel. This CD includes both of their albums for Prestige,Now! Hear!and'Round Midnight, recorded in 1964 and 1965, respectively, and the tunes bring a mix of well-crafted arrangements and spontaneous, hard-swinging joy. The repertoire emphasizes jazz classics and standards, but it's almost an interesting change of pace to hear those voices unleashed on an occasional piece of period ephemera, like "Tammy," as well as a great ballad like "Solitude" or the kinetic "Sister Sadie." With backing from some of the finest musicians in jazz--Jerome Richardson on reeds, guitaristKenny Burrell, bassistsRichard DavisandMilt Hinton, and drummers Osie Johnson and Jo Jones--this is entertaining, substantial music.--Stuart Broomer