Billy Bean

[wintermoon]

I don't think Billy Bean, the ballplayer, was a thing when the song was written. He didn't become well known until he came out, and even now he's not famous, unknown outside baseball. But the guitar player...

Cats in the know know Bean, but he's not more well known than the ballplayer, even w out his orientation putting him in the public eye. In the jazz world most average or even slightly more informed listeners haven't heard of him. And if you asked most jazz guitarists to name their top 20, I'd bet he doesn't crack most folks lists, only because they haven't heard him, he's still pretty obscure even today. But if you're really informed you know he was an absolute monster player, he's easily in my top 10, probably 5 ever.
Damn shame, but we have the recordings, he was real.

[David B]

I just discovered him and I'm making as many transcriptions as possible. I can hear how so many great guitarists have taken from him. Pat Martino talks about him and even pat metheny mentioned him in some masterclass too. His articulation is amazing. Doesn't make sense he's so unknown and recorded so little. Any one else know more about him? He died in 2012 I think.

You will want to get the biography (available in both printed and e-book formats) by Seth Greenberg, who was able to conduct interviews with Billy towards the end of his life. Midoriyama Publishing
Right now, the unabridged e-book edition is on sale for just $17.95, which includes pages of Billy's own transcriptions and charts.

[David B]

The bebop guitar corners of Facebook I frequent have been very excited this weekend at the discover of 28 seconds of footage of Barry Harris, Butch Warren and BILLY BEAN at the start of this unreleased and incomplete documentary from the 1960s.

Bean is playing an L7 with a CC pickup.

[sgcim]

The bebop guitar corners of Facebook I frequent have been very excited this weekend at the discover of 28 seconds of footage of Barry Harris, Butch Warren and BILLY BEAN at the start of this unreleased and incomplete documentary from the 1960s.

Bean is playing an L7 with a CC pickup.

Smokin!

[GuyBoden]

I'm just discovering Billy Bean.

What do you recommend?

[PMB]

I love Farlow, Raney, Wes and Pass but Billy Bean was IMO the only guitarist of that era who really captured the rhythmic drive and 'bounce' in articulation that you hear in Charlie Parker, Bud Powell and Clifford Brown:

[jameslovestal]

The Trio album with Bean is first rate. I have a double Bean\Pisano CD based on two albums done by those two.

It is worth getting, but some of the arrangements I find to be corny.

[deacon Mark]

Bean is unbelievable been listening to for years but lately much more. Even had to contact Wintermoon to see if he might have met him being the Philly area but no. He just goes up and down and moves through changes my ears love it. Even Tony DeCaprio had not met him but like much in the Jim Raney style. I think he ended up going back to Philly after the west coast stuff.