Billy Bean (musician)

William Fredrick "Billy" Bean (December 26, 1933 – February 6, 2012) was an American jazz guitarist from Philadelphia. Bean was born into a musical family. His mother played the piano; his father was an amateur singer and guitarist; his sister was a professional singer.

Bean's father taught him a few of the basic on the guitar before he had him take lessons with Howard Herbert.^[1] Following his lessons with Herbert, Bean studied for about one year with famed jazz pedagogue Dennis Sandole.^[2] During the late 1940s and early 1950s, Bean performed at different venues around the Philadelphia area and recorded three albums as a member of saxophonist Charlie Ventura's Quintet (1956–58).^[3] He moved to Los Angeles, California in 1958 to record for Decca Records.^[4]

The first two albums Bean recorded in Los Angeles were co-led with fellow guitar legend, John Pisano, who had introduced Bean to Decca Record's A&R Fred Katz. While in Los Angeles, Bean played as a sideman for Zoot Sims, Paul Horn, Buddy Collette, Calvin Jackson, Bud Shank, Les Elgart, Herb Geller, Lorraine Geller, and Milt Bernhart.^[5] His influence can be heard in many guitarists such as Pat Martino.

In October, 1959, Bean moved to New York after accepting Tony Bennett's offer to join his band. He remained with Bennett's band for less than one year. Hal Gaylor, who had been Bennett's bassist, decided to put together a drummerless trio with Bean and pianist Walter Norris; they called themselves The Trio and recorded an album for Riverside Records in 1961. Gaylor said that the trio had great difficulty in finding work and disbanded shortly after recording.^[6]

Bean remained in New York until about 1965. During that period of time, he performed Stan Getz, Herbie Mann, and John Lewis. (He recorded albums with Mann and Lewis.)^[7] After living in New York, Bean returned to his hometown of Philadelphia where the frequency of his performances began to diminish.^[8] In 1986, Bean officially retired from performing.^[9]

Discography

With Red Callender

• The Lowest: The Music of Red Callender, 1958

With Buddy DeFranco

• Cross-Country Suite, 1958

With Paul Horn

• Plenty of Horn (Dot, 1958)

With Fred Katz

• Folk Songs for Far Out Folk (Warner Bros., 1958)

With John Lewis

• Essence (Atlantic, 1962)

With Herbie Mann

• Right Now (Atlantic, 1962)
• Brazil, Bossa Nova & Blues (United Artists, 1962)

With Walter Norris

• The Trio, 1961
• The Trio Rediscovered (1961)

With John Pisano

• Makin' It, 1958
• Makin' It Again (1956–58), 1999
• West Coast Sessions (1950s), 1999
• Finale

With Bud Shank

• Slippery When Wet (World Pacific, 1959)

With Zoot Sims

• Choice, 1959

With Charlie Ventura

• Charlie Ventura Plays Hi-Fi Jazz, 1956
• The New Charlie Ventura in Hi-Fi, 1956

References

1. Seth Greenberg. Billy Bean: The Life and Music of a Jazz Guitar Legend (Berkeley: Midoriyama Publishing, 2013), 30-31.
2. Greenberg, 40-94.
3. Greenberg, 101-105.
4. Greenberg, 114.
5. Greenberg, 188-189.
6. Greenberg, 142-146.
7. Greenberg, 150-156.
8. Greenberg, 160-162.
9. Greenberg, 169.

• Eugene Chadbourne, Billy Bean at Allmusic
• A biography about Bean's life entitled Billy Bean: The Life and Music of a Jazz Guitar Legend was written by Dr. Seth Greenberg and published in 2013 by Midoriyama Publishing. Two editions are currently in print: a two-volume unabridged and a single-volume abridged. The latter edition focuses exclusively on the biographical elements without any of the musical analyses found in the unabridged version.