Trio makes beautiful music together

BILLY DEAN, THURL BAILEY, MARVIN GOLDSTEIN, Sandy Amphitheater, Saturday.

SANDY — When they first got together, Marvin Goldstein wanted to call them "the triplets," a nod to the DeVito/Schwarzenegger film "Twins." He figured that he, Thurl Bailey and Billy Dean were as unlikely a trio as you'd ever find.

But as the three proved Saturday, you don't have to look alike or be alike to make harmonious music together. They each brought something very different to the stage, but their differences tripled the impact, rather than dividing it. As Dean said, "Music knows no boundaries; music has no borders."

A self-styled "country redneck," Dean and his guitar started things off with a few of his hits: "Only Here For a Little While," "Billy the Kid," "If There Hadn't Been You," as well as "Thank God, I'm A Country Boy," from an upcoming CD.

Pianist Goldstein joined him for the beautiful "Somewhere In My Broken Heart." And then Bailey (known for basketball as well as his soul and R&B music) completed the trio for a stylish "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot."

From there, the night offered a bit of everything — gospel favorites such as "Amazing Grace" and "How Great Thou Art"; a bit of soul ("Ain't No Sunshine"); tender love songs ("Love Saves the Day," co-written by Bailey; "I'm In Love With You," co-written by Dean).

Goldstein opened the second half with a medley of love songs. There were several selections from the CD the three have just released, "Friends & Brothers: A Unique Blend of Gospel Favorites," including Bailey's moving "I Need Thee Every Hour," Dean's tender tribute to childhood, "Let Them Be Little," and a special rendition of "I Am A Child of God."

Bailey and Dean, both with rich, strong voices, created sweet harmony, and Goldstein's flying fingers added a perfect complement on the piano. The entertainers were clearly having as much fun as the audience, with a lot of good-natured bantering and a few height comparisons. (So what if Goldstein had to stand on the piano to high-five Bailey.)

"Party of Four," composed of John and Mike Anderson, Howard Headlee and Ted Heap, opened the show with humor, energy and some great songs from the '60s to add to the eclectic nature of the evening.

The CD and concert are a project of Goldstein's Peace With Music Foundation, which seeks "to promote peace and understanding among different cultures through the medium of music." If the three of them could come together, with different backgrounds, different races, different religions, said Goldstein, just think what else can happen.

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