"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

George learned to play trumpet during the 1940's, jamming with his father's friends. He played lead trumpet through high school and college and on into the Navy for four years. The 1950's found George on the road with combos and with the big bands of Stan Kenton, Harry James, Count Basie and others. Extensive show work followed the road, as George worked most of the major acts of the 60's including Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Nat "King" Cole, Sara Vaughn, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, etc. The 70's took George into the studio playing on jingles and recording dates. The 80's gave us George Bean at home in virtually any setting. An accomplished reader and soloist who could be found all over town in virtually any idiom...traditional jazz, swing, bebop...you name it! His unforgetable style has now grown into his sixth decade of making jazz and is born of all of those experiences and knowledge. And...that's Jazz!
Russ Phillips