Ain't Necessarily So

Bey brings the energy of his live performances to American Standards. Insiders have always known about Andy Bey. Given his limited output of studio recordings, live performances were the source of his reputation as a singer.

Aretha Franklin reminisces about the nights when Andy and The Bey Sisters worked the Village in New York: "Soon as I finished my gig, I'd run over to hear them. Andy never got the recognition he deserved..."

Like the playground legend who never made it to the NBA, Andy Bey was almost consigned to the fading murmurs of those who caught him in Paris in '59, of Birdland in the mid '60s. But now, we're blessed with a new release of a live recording that captures the energy and magic, and continues to change how we think of American Standards. Decades intervened between those after-hours "below the radar" sessions and the recordings presented on Ain't Necessary So. But the vivid performances haven't dimmed a bit.