Billy Bean (musician)
Encyclopedia
William Fredrick "Billy" Bean (born December 26, 1933) is an American
jazz guitarist
from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. Bean was born into a musical family; his mother played piano, his father guitar, and his sister was a professional singer. Bean studied privately on his instrument and played locally in Philadelphia in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He moved to California
in 1958, where he became associated with the West Coast jazz
scene.
He only recorded a handful of albums in his short career, two of which were with fellow guitar legend, John Pisano
in the late 1950s as well as an album with the Hal Gaylor Trio. Bean played as a sideman with Zoot Sims
, Paul Horn, Buddy Collette
, Charlie Ventura
, Calvin Jackson
, Bud Shank
, and Les Elgart
. His influence is heard in many players including Pat Martino
. Larry Coryell
wrote a tune entitled "Billy Bean" in tribute to him.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz guitarist
Jazz guitarist
Jazz guitarists are guitar players who play jazz music on the guitar using an approach to playing chords, melodies, and improvised solo lines which is called jazz guitar playing. The guitar has fulfilled the roles of accompanist and soloist in small and large ensembles and also as an unaccompanied...
from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Bean was born into a musical family; his mother played piano, his father guitar, and his sister was a professional singer. Bean studied privately on his instrument and played locally in Philadelphia in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1958, where he became associated with the West Coast jazz
West coast jazz
West Coast jazz refers to various styles of jazz music that developed around Los Angeles and San Francisco during the 1950s. West Coast jazz is often seen as a sub-genre of cool jazz, which featured a less frenetic, calmer style than bebop or hard bop. The music tended to be more heavily arranged,...
scene.
He only recorded a handful of albums in his short career, two of which were with fellow guitar legend, John Pisano
John Pisano
John Pisano is a jazz guitarist born in Staten Island, New York.John has accompanied in concert or recording some of music's biggest names, including Burt Bacharach, Tony Bennett, Herb Alpert, Natalie Cole, Michael Franks, Diana Krall, Peggy Lee, Julie London, Joe Pass, Frank Sinatra, Barbra...
in the late 1950s as well as an album with the Hal Gaylor Trio. Bean played as a sideman with Zoot Sims
Zoot Sims
John Haley "Zoot" Sims was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor and soprano.-Biography:He was born in Inglewood, California, the son of vaudeville performers Kate Haley and John Sims. Growing up in a performing family, Sims learned to play both drums and clarinet at an early age...
, Paul Horn, Buddy Collette
Buddy Collette
William Marcel "Buddy" Collette was an American tenor saxophonist, flautist, and clarinetist. He was highly influential in the West coast jazz and West Coast blues mediums, also collaborating with saxophonist Dexter Gordon, drummer Chico Hamilton, and his lifelong friend, bassist Charles...
, Charlie Ventura
Charlie Ventura
Charlie Ventura was a tenor saxophonist and bandleader.Ventura was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He had his first successes working with Gene Krupa. In 1945 he won the Down Beat readers' poll in the tenor saxophone division...
, Calvin Jackson
Calvin Jackson
Calvin Jackson was an American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader....
, Bud Shank
Bud Shank
Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank, Jr. was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and throughout the decade worked in various small jazz combos. He spent the 1960s as a first...
, and Les Elgart
Les Elgart
Les Elgart was an American swing jazz bandleader and trumpeter.Lester E. Elgart began playing trumpet as a teenager, and by age 20 had landed professional gigs. In the 1940s he played in bands led by Raymond Scott, Charlie Spivak, and Harry James, and occasionally found himself in bands alongside...
. His influence is heard in many players including Pat Martino
Pat Martino
Pat Martino is an Italian-American jazz guitarist and composer within the post bop, fusion, mainstream jazz, soul jazz and hard bop idioms.-Biography:...
. Larry Coryell
Larry Coryell
Larry Coryell is an American jazz fusion guitarist.-Biography:Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas. He graduated from Richland High School, in Richland, Washington, where he played in local bands The Jailers, The Rumblers, The Royals, and The Flames. He also played with The Checkers from nearby...
wrote a tune entitled "Billy Bean" in tribute to him.
Discography
- The Lowest The Music of Red Callender with Red CallenderRed CallenderRed Callender, , was a jazz bass and tuba player, famous for turning down a chance to work with Duke Ellington's Orchestra and the Louis Armstrong All-Stars....
, Buddy ColletteBuddy ColletteWilliam Marcel "Buddy" Collette was an American tenor saxophonist, flautist, and clarinetist. He was highly influential in the West coast jazz and West Coast blues mediums, also collaborating with saxophonist Dexter Gordon, drummer Chico Hamilton, and his lifelong friend, bassist Charles...
, Red MitchellRed MitchellKeith Moore "Red" Mitchell Keith Moore "Red" Mitchell Keith Moore "Red" Mitchell (September 20, 1927, New York City - November 8, 1992, Salem, Oregon, was an American jazz double-bassist, composer, lyricist, and poet. He was the brother of Whitey Mitchell....
, Gerald WigginsGerald WigginsGerald Wiggins was a jazz pianist and organist. He studied classical, but switched to jazz in his teens. He began as a professional playing accompaniment to Stepin Fetchit. He worked with Louis Armstrong and Benny Carter. In the 1940s he moved to Los Angeles where he played music for television...
, Bill DouglassBill DouglassWilliam "Bill" Douglass was an American jazz drummer born in Sherman, Texas. Douglass relocated to Los Angeles when he was six months old, becoming in his adulthood a popular LA musician who worked shows and sessions with some of swing's top performers...
, Gerald WilsonGerald WilsonGerald Stanley Wilson is an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer/arranger, 8 time Grammy nominee, and educator. He has been based in Los Angeles since the early 1940s....
, 1955 - Charlie Ventura Plays Hi-Fi Jazz with Charlie VenturaCharlie VenturaCharlie Ventura was a tenor saxophonist and bandleader.Ventura was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He had his first successes working with Gene Krupa. In 1945 he won the Down Beat readers' poll in the tenor saxophone division...
, Mousey AlexanderMousey AlexanderElmer "Mousey" Alexander was an American jazz drummer.Born in Gary, Indiana, Alexander studied at the Roy Knapp School in Chicago. He began to work with Jimmy McPartland there, soon after playing in the band of his wife, Marian McPartland...
, Dave McKennaDave McKennaDave McKenna was a jazz pianist. He was known for his "three-handed swing" and was a leading proponent of solo piano style.-Biography:...
, Richard Davis, 1956 - The New Charlie Ventura in Hi-Fi with Charlie Ventura, Mousey Alexander, Dave Hildinger, Richard Davis, 1956
- Makin' It with John PisanoJohn PisanoJohn Pisano is a jazz guitarist born in Staten Island, New York.John has accompanied in concert or recording some of music's biggest names, including Burt Bacharach, Tony Bennett, Herb Alpert, Natalie Cole, Michael Franks, Diana Krall, Peggy Lee, Julie London, Joe Pass, Frank Sinatra, Barbra...
, Fred Katz, Calvin JacksonCalvin JacksonCalvin Jackson was an American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader....
, Hal Gaylor, Gene Estes, Larry BunkerLarry BunkerLawrence Benjamin "Larry" Bunker was an American jazz drummer, vibraphonist, and percussionist. He also played timpani with the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra.-Biography:...
, Drummer X, Red CallenderRed CallenderRed Callender, , was a jazz bass and tuba player, famous for turning down a chance to work with Duke Ellington's Orchestra and the Louis Armstrong All-Stars....
, Si ZentnerSi ZentnerSimon H. "Si" Zentner was an American jazz bandleader.Zentner played piano from age four and picked up trombone a few years later. He attended college for music and had intended to pursue a career in classical music, but became more interested in pop music after recording with Andre Kostelanetz...
, Carl Karske, Hoyt Bohannon, Pete CandoliPete CandoliPete Candoli was an American swing and West Coast jazz trumpeter. He played with the big bands of Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, and many others, and worked extensively in the studios of the recording and television industries...
, Kendall Bright, Melvin Moore, Irving Goodman, Paul Horn, Bill GreenBill GreenBill Green or Billy Green may refer to:*Bill Green , American Olympic hammer thrower*Bill Green , American college basketball player...
, Jules Jacob, Alexander Nieman, Irving Manning, Raphael Kramer, Edgar LustgartenEdgar LustgartenEdgar Marcus Lustgarten was a British broadcaster and noted crime writer.His books included crime fiction, but most were accounts of true-life criminal cases. The legal justice system and courtroom procedures were his main interests and his writings reflect this...
, 1957 - Take Your Pick with Johnny Pisano, Fred Katz, Calvin Jackson, Hal Gaylor, Gene Estes, Larry Bunker, Red Callender, Si Zentner,Carl Karske, Hoyt Bohannon, Pete CandoliPete CandoliPete Candoli was an American swing and West Coast jazz trumpeter. He played with the big bands of Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, and many others, and worked extensively in the studios of the recording and television industries...
, Kendall Bright, Melvin Moorse, Irving Goodman, Paul Horn, Bill Green, Jules Jacob, George SmithGeorge Smith-American:* George William Smith , governor of Virginia* George Smith , Republican US representative from Pennsylvania, 1809–1812...
, Abe Most, 1958 - Slippery When Wet with Bud ShankBud ShankClifford Everett "Bud" Shank, Jr. was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and throughout the decade worked in various small jazz combos. He spent the 1960s as a first...
, Chuck FloresChuck FloresChuck Flores is an American jazz drummer. One of the relatively small number of musicians associated with West Coast jazz who are actually from the West Coast, Flores was born Charles Walter Flores in Orange, California, and grew up in Santa Ana...
, Gary PeacockGary PeacockGary Peacock is an American jazz double-bassist.-Biography:After military service in Germany, in the early sixties he worked on the west coast with Barney Kessel, Bud Shank, Paul Bley and Art Pepper, then moved to New York. He worked there with Bley, the Bill Evans trio , and Albert Ayler's trio...
, 1959 - Choice with Zoot SimsZoot SimsJohn Haley "Zoot" Sims was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor and soprano.-Biography:He was born in Inglewood, California, the son of vaudeville performers Kate Haley and John Sims. Growing up in a performing family, Sims learned to play both drums and clarinet at an early age...
, Russ Freeman, Monte Budwig, Mel LewisMel LewisMel Lewis was an American drummer, jazz musician and band leader. He was born Melvin Sokoloff in Buffalo, New York to Russian immigrant parents....
, 1959. - Buddy DeFranco Orchestra: Cross-Country Suite, 1960
- The Trio with Walter NorrisWalter NorrisWalter Norris was an American pianist and composer. -Early life & career:Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on December 27, 1931, Norris first studied piano at home with his mother, then with John Summers, a local church organist...
, Hal Gaylor, 1961 - Right Now Herbie Mann with Herbie MannHerbie MannHerbert Jay Solomon , better known as Herbie Mann, was a Jewish American jazz flutist and important early practitioner of world music...
, Bill Salter, Don Payne, Hagood HardyHagood HardyHugh Hagood Hardy, CM was a Canadian composer, pianist, and vibraphonist. He is best known for the 1975 single, "The Homecoming", originally created as music to a 1972 TV commercial for Salada tea, and for his soundtrack to the Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea films.Born in Angola,...
, Willie BoboWillie BoboWillie Bobo was the stage name of William Correa , an American jazz percussionist.-Biography:William Correa grew up in Spanish Harlem, New York City. He made his name in Latin Jazz, specifically Afro-Cuban jazz, in the 1960s and '70s, with the timbales becoming his favoured instrument...
, Carlos ValdesCarlos ValdesCarlos Valdes was a Cuban-born American conga player. In 1955 he emigrated from Cuba to New York City where he played with Willie Bobo in Harlem. He was also known by the name "Patato". He invented and patented the tunable conga drum which revolutionized use of the instrument...
, Willie Rodrigues, Johnny PachecoJohnny PachecoJohnny Pacheco is a Dominican producer, musician, bandleader, and one of the most influential figures in American salsa music.-Early life:...
, 1962 - Makin' It Again with John Pisano, Gene Estes, (1956–58), 1988
- The Trio Rediscovered with Walter Norris, Hal Gaylor, (1961), 1999
- West Coast Sessions with John PisanoJohn PisanoJohn Pisano is a jazz guitarist born in Staten Island, New York.John has accompanied in concert or recording some of music's biggest names, including Burt Bacharach, Tony Bennett, Herb Alpert, Natalie Cole, Michael Franks, Diana Krall, Peggy Lee, Julie London, Joe Pass, Frank Sinatra, Barbra...
, Dennis Budimir, Gene Estes, (1950s), 1999 - Finale with Johnny Pisano, 2002