As trend-driven in its way as the pop world, the jazz community sometimes overlooks remarkable talents for decades before “discovering” them. Such was the case with Abbey Lincoln, Shirley Horn and Little Jimmy Scott. Now it’s singer-pianist Andy Bey’s turn. Bey was a child prodigy in his native Newark, N.J.—playing piano at 3, singing professionally at 8, making his first recording at 13. With his siblings Salome and Geraldine, he formed Andy and the Bey Sisters, a vocal trio that toured Europe in the early ’60s and recorded albums for Prestige and RCA Victor at home. When the trio disbanded in 1966, Bey continued to study and perform but with less visibility. His 1996 CD, Ballads Blues & Bey, returned him to the national spotlight. On this solo project, Bey’s rich, heartfelt vocals and spare, resourceful piano revivified a program of well-worn ballads (“Someone to Watch Over Me”, “Willow Weep for Me”) that you thought you never wanted to hear again. His new CD, Shades of Bey, is an equally rewarding but more challenging effort featuring an eclectic repertoire, appearances by guest artists (pianist Geri Allen, saxophonist Gary Bartz), and even a small string section on an unexpected revival of the late English singer-songwriter Nick Drake’s “River Man.” This track, and the vocal duets with Paul Meyers’ guitar that open and close Shades of Bey (“Like A Lover,” “Drume Negrita”), will simultaneously curl your toes and ease your soul. Bey performs with his trio at 8 & 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19, at Blues Alley, 1073 Rear Wisconsin Ave. NW. $16. (202) 337-4141. (Joel E. Siegel)