Frank Bey

Peace

NOLA Blue

Collections and/or greatest hits are not typically the subject of my reviews. Yet, the late Frank Bey is special and personal to yours truly.  His music needs to be heard and spread far and wide. The beauty of this collection is that only two of these eleven appeared on Bey’s widely acclaimed NOLA Blue releases. Frank Bey is unequivocally one of the best live performers that I have ever witnessed, even in a weakened state where he delivered his vocals and conducted his band from a sitting position, inducing chills and goosebumps.  I was fortunate to have witnessed two of such performances.  Bey renders two of the most covered songs of our lifetime, Sam Cooke’s “Change Is Gonna Come” and John Lennon’s “Imagine” to close this collection. When you listen to those, you’ll get an understanding of what I’ve described. They are ‘must listens” for all. The latter became a signature tune for Bey like “Hey Jude” did for Wilson Pickett. In live performance the audience rose to a standing ovation midway through the song.

Sallie Bengston, the owner of NOLA Blue Records, deserves much credit. Like she has done for other forgotten greats like Benny Turner and Cash McCall, she managed to resurrect Bey’s career with his 2018 “Back in Business” (produced by Tom Hambridge) and his 2020 GRAMMY-nominated swan song, ”All My Dues Are Paid” (produced by Kid Andersen), not to mention a documentary film about Bey’s life, “Frank Bey: You’re Going to Miss Me.” Now she has put together this collection, “Peace” issued on Bey’s 79^th birthday.

All are remastered, beginning with “That’s What Love Will Make You Do,” by Little Milton that Bey recorded with The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra at Greaseland (San Jose, CA) in 2015, released here for the first time. Most of the other tracks represent Bey’s recorded work with his bandleader and friend of more than 25 years, Jeff Monjack, and the late Kevin Frieson, of West Virginia. Rounding out the collection is “One Thing Every Day,” from Bey’s ”All My Dues Are Paid,” also recorded at Greaseland.

Monjack reflects, “For over 25 years show after show, going on stage with Frank Bey was a joy. Frank’s connection to whatever that spiritual part of music is, was strong. His singing came straight from the depths of his ancestors and connected to the deepest part of everyone’s soul who was there. There were no wrong notes – it was beyond that. Pure music. I was lucky to have had the opportunity to lead his band. We had a blast on every performance. No matter what his body was going through, when the downbeat hit, it was game on – back to that special place where we always wanted to be.”

 On the pulsating “One of These Days,” produced by Kid Anderson,  Andersen’s wife, Lisa Leuschner Andersen, adds harmonies. The next seven consecutive tracks did not appear on either of the two NOLA Blue releases. “Midnight and Day” is a slice of funk with stinging guitar while the acoustic “City Boy” reveals Bey’s superb ability to render a ballad. “Blues Come Knockin’” and “Walk with Me” are straightforward shuffles, yet Bey injects his trademark phrasing to set them apart from the generic. The autobiographical  acoustic “Bed for My Soul” (“I got a bed for my body, but I got no bed for my soul”) chronicles some of Bey’s early roots in Georgia, where he earned the title, “Southern Gentleman of the Blues.” The B.B.King styled simmering slow blues of “If You Want Me” certainly sounds like a more youthful Bey, unhurried and deep in the blues as he lets his guitarists do just as much of the talking until he returns in growling, testifying form in the second half. “Blues in the Pocket” reveals yet a different side, as Bey begins the song much like a preacher, until the band kicks in with Bey in sync with the funky groove.

Coming five years after Bey’s last release, this collection will hopefully introduce some new listeners to Bey’s music, encouraging them to pick up his previous releases. For those well immersed in Bey’s music, we too have some new tracks. Live on in music, Frank. We miss you.

– Jim Hynes

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