The Trio: Rediscovered

Billy Bean

The World Is Full of Billy Beans

This one goes out to the near greats and the should-have-beens. All styles of music have them—the sidemen who could throw down in a big way but never got a break, the players who made others tremble but somehow got lost on the way to the spotlight. They are the utility infielders of music, existing in the half-light of liner notes and the memories of those who happened to be on the scene when once they roared. Their obscurity can be attributed to a zillion different twists of fate—they missed the gig where the talent scout showed up, they were the "wrong" color or gender, they fell victim to substance abuse, they just didn't look the part.

Among these is the jazz guitarist Billy Bean, whose crisp and hyper-articulate style set him apart from many of his peers. Active during the 1950s and '60s, the Philadelphia native cut his teeth supporting Red Callender, Bud Shank, Herbie Mann, and Charlie Ventura, among others. In between the journeyman work, Bean led a trio featuring pianist Walter Norris and bassist Hal Gaylor that worked the Manhattan jazz circuit in 1960. This group caught the ear of legendary pianist Bill Evans, who arranged for a record contract. The three made exactly one record, entitled The Trio (1961), which disappeared without attracting much attention.

Bean himself completely disappeared a year or so after that release, leaving behind a handful of small recordings (notably two with guitarist John Pisano, Take Your Pick and Makin' It). His output barely rated a short mention in Leonard Feather's Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz, yet there was just enough to fuel a tiny myth. Decades later, some prominent guitarists—among them Pat Metheny and John Scofield—began to talk about Bean in glowing terms, as the rare technician whose lines are dauntingly complex, yet at the same time filled with sneaky, disarmingly beautiful melodies. Virtually everything on this drummerless set bolsters that assessment: Cue up the snapping "Have You Met Miss Jones?" or the intricate "Porgy and Bess Medley" to hear a man with a unique, highly developed voice on his instrument, swinging delightfully, making wild leaps and rarely missing a beat. The audience wasn't there to pick up on it, but the tape survives all the same—a reminder that greatness can sometimes slip through the cracks, and go unnoticed for decades. Or, sometimes, forever.

Genre: Jazz
Released: 1999, String Jazz. (Originally released 1961, Riverside.)
Key Tracks: "Porgy and Bess Medley," "Motivation," "Lush Life," "Have You Met Miss Jones?"
Catalog Choice: Makin' It Again (with John Pisano, Dennis Budimir).
Next Stop: Hazel Scott: Relaxed Piano Moods
After That: Ira Sullivan and Joe Diorio: Breeze and I
Book Page: 56

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Comments:

#1 from Eddie Bromley, Kentucky - 11/27/2008 6:24

I would love to be able to hear a sample from this alblum. I have heard a lot of great music from this list, but have had a tough time finding this one.

#2 from Kris Vandekerckhove, Brugge, BE - 11/28/2008 3:06

Easy.
http://www.spun.com
Look for Billy Bean.
There are samples as well.
Thank me later.

#3 from Eddie Bromley, Kentucky - 11/28/2008 9:39

Thanks Kris. After posting, I also found Billy’s myspace spot, where he has made four of his songs available for listening. His “hisspace” site: http://www.myspace.com/billybeanguitar

#4 from Kris Vandekerckhove, Brugge, BE - 11/28/2008 9:59

Thanks, Eddie, will check it out…

#5 from Cale, DC - 08/05/2009 9:50

out of print, but I found it here:

http://jazzy62-jazzyblues.blogspot.com/2009/07/billy-bean-trio-rediscovered.html

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