ANDY BEY TRIO
Exclusive Concert Event
CARMEN SINGS MONK: A NEW INTERPRETATION
Thursday, 10/18/07, 8 pm
Reynolds Industries Theater
$13 • $10 • $5* (*Special offer: for all students)
John Coltrane once called Andy Bey his favorite of all jazz vocalists, and this “ferociously talented” singer— as the New York Times calls him— has a lush voice that fires on all cylinders: he’s able to strike both baritone lows and falsetto highs with what the Times calls “a kind of musical iridescence.”
For this special Following Monk show, the gifted singer-pianist interprets selections from Carmen McRae’s iconic album of Monk arrangements, Carmen Sings Monk. McRae’s 1988 compilation showed how Monk’s idiosyncratic melodies and singular timing begged to be sung. The result was vocal music of rare and focused power: 14 tracks of entrancing jazz turned into a version of the blues.
Like McRae’s famously bluesy album, Bey’s work sits at the summit of the jazz vocal tradition; in 2004 he was nominated for a Grammy for “Best Jazz Vocal Album” after an already storied career. The velvet-voiced singer comes to this three-way collaboration of jazz greats— Bey sings McRae singing Monk— to highlight the miracles of re-interpreting Monk.
Audio Interview: Andy Bey talks with musician Susan Reeves about his musical influences, Monk, Carmen, and his Festival program:
Andy Bey on the web: