Apr 29, 2025 11:53 AM
Vocalist Andy Bey Dies at 85
Singer Andy Bey, who illuminated the jazz scene for five decades with a four-octave range that encompassed a bellowing…
In Blue, Karrin Allyson’s follow up to her double Grammy-nominated Ballads—Remembering John Coltrane, debuted at No. 2 a week ago on the Billboard Traditional Jazz Charts, and has maintained that position for a second straight week. In Blue was released on August 13.
Known for her unparalleled ability to connect with her material and communicate that intimacy to her listeners, Allyson’s talent for capturing the emotional essence of whatever style of music she performs has earned her a place alongside the most notable female vocalists in jazz or any other genre. In Blue, her eighth release with Concord Records, is Allyson’s first album that focuses exclusively on the diverse sentiments that make up the blues and includes such tracks as “Moanin’,” “The Meaning Of The Blues,” “How Long Has This Been Going On?,” “Angel Eyes,” “Blue Motel Room” and “West Coast Blues.”
“When I first thought about doing a ‘blues album’ it was hard to describe to people,” recalls Allyson. “In specific musical terms, the blues have a ‘form’-whether it be the typical 12-bar blues, minor blues, blues with a bridge, etc. This album is not a ‘traditional blues album’ but rather, it’s a collection of tunes I love, that have to do with having the blues-no matter what the form.
“The Blues are…universal, it’s hard not to respond to them,” Allyson continues. “Some of these tunes allow me to express personal feelings not just about love or heartbreak, but also about social issues too. I also love humor, irony and the more than occasional ‘sassiness’ in music. The blues are a perfect vehicle for all these things.”
“It kind of slows down, but it’s still kind of productive in a way, because you have something that you can be inspired by,” Andy Bey said on a 2019 episode of NPR Jazz Night in America, when he was 80. “The music is always inspiring.”
Apr 29, 2025 11:53 AM
Singer Andy Bey, who illuminated the jazz scene for five decades with a four-octave range that encompassed a bellowing…
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