"The first time I saw George Bean was in the mid 70’s at a club down on Lincoln Avenue. He was standing at the bar smoking a cigarette, holding a beer in one hand and a cornet in the other discussing Bela Bartok and Charlie Parker. He had a ponytail, Birkenstocks and he was wearing an aviator jet pilot one-piece flying jumpsuit, you know, the kind that zip up the front. I remember looking at him and wondering, "Where the heck is this guy going?" I mean he must be going somewhere, because he's dressed up like Chuck Yaeger ready for Mach 5. Well, that night George did go Mach 5 and a little beyond that. He broke some sound barriers of the imagination, and took the entire audience on a magic cornet carpet ride to a few new dimensions of melody, magic and improvisation. I remember thinking this is what it must have been like to hear Louis at the Lincoln Gardens. The power, beauty and sheer joy that came out of George's horn was simply undeniable. He had that Sweet Swingin’ Light and, man, it was on! Every time he took a solo the place went wild. It was thrilling. Thank God he was wearing that jumpsuit. "
--Brian Gill