San Francisco Chronicle - Thursday, August 2, 2007
Andrew Gilbert

Completely at home among American songbook standards, Bey is also open to tunes from just about any other source, seamlessly segueing from Nick Drake and Sting to Milton Nascimento and Big Bill Broonzy. He opens a three-night run at Jazz at Pearl's on Friday, making his Bay Area debut as a solo act, accompanying himself on the piano.

"Back in the 1960s I was focusing on the piano," says Bey, 67. "Even if I'm performing solo, I always think in terms of a rhythm section, because the piano is a dialogue. I love Shirley Horn, but Nat 'King' Cole is my role model when it comes to doing everything with taste, and making the music seem so simple and effortless."

Born and raised in Newark, Bey was a piano prodigy who first gained widespread attention on the television shows "Spotlight on Harlem" and "The Star Time Kids." As a teenager he shared stages with stars such as Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington, and spent more than a year performing in Paris in the late 1950s as part of an acclaimed vocal act, Andy and the Bey Sisters. Though he worked widely with Horace Silver and Gary Bartz in the '70s, his solo career foundered for decades, until the 1996 release of his Evidence album "Ballad Blues and Bey," which catapulted him back into the spotlight.

Among the depleted ranks of male jazz singers, Bey suddenly emerged as a confident improviser with an utterly original sound and conception. He credits his disparate experiences with forcing him to explore his voice's full potential.

"I didn't really think about it much at first," Bey says. "With my sisters I had to blend a certain way in order not to over-sing. You have to fit the textures of what the other voices are doing. When you're singing with a big band, if the band is overpowering and they're not writing arrangements where you can be comfortable, you have to adjust to that. I learned how to manipulate my voice by adjusting to all these different environments. It takes years and years to get to a certain point. I'm working on things right now vocally."

A string of beautiful albums has cemented Bey's reputation, including his most recent release, the Grammy-nominated "American Song" (Savoy Jazz). It may be just a coincidence, but Bey's career seemed to accelerate when he discussed his HIV-positive status and became one of jazz's few openly gay artists. Uniting all his various voices is a bracing honesty and an abundance of soul, a quality that can't be bought or borrowed, faked or sold.

Andrew Gilbert, 96Hours@sfchronicle.com
070802
SC070802

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2007. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2007. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .