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Who are this guys?


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Where did you get the image. Surely there was other material there that would have given you to leads on a web search. Do you know about AMG (allmusic.com? I was unaware of those recordings, but Norris is great. One could look up bios of all the players on AMG.

In the early 1960s, bassist Hal Gaylor founded a noteworthy but short-lived group that he called the Trio. With Gaylor on upright bass, Walter Norris on acoustic piano, and Billy Bean on electric guitar, the Trio favored a drumless format that recalled the Nat King Cole Trio of the 1940s. But anyone who listens to this bop-oriented 1961 session, which was produced by the ubiquitous Orrin Keepnews, will realize that the Trio never went out of its way to emulate Cole's group. While the Nat King Cole Trio is an influence, Norris is far from a Cole imitator — in 1961, the pianist was well aware of what everyone from Bill Evans to Lennie Tristano to Thelonious Monk had accomplished. Norris was only 29 when this album was recorded, and while The Trio isn't as adventurous as some of the albums that he recorded as a leader in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, it is a pleasing bop date. Gaylor (who switches to cello on his lively "Che-Low") enjoys a strong rapport with Norris and Bean on original material as well as performances of "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," "The End of a Love Affair" and "For Heaven's Sake." Regrettably, Gaylor and Bean both ended up leaving the music world; in fact, Gaylor gave up jazz to become a certified drug counselor. Norris, thankfully, never left jazz and was still recording when the 21st century arrived. And we can also be thankful that the Trio, although underexposed and short-lived, is documented on this enjoyable album. — Alex Henderson

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The Trio made one album for Riverside--it did not do well. Anyway, here's some bio info on the group's pianist:

  • jazdude.jpg Walter Norris

    Classical piano studies with John H. Summers from age four and a half until eighteen. Working professionally (`44-`50) with Howard William’s 19 piece band in Little Rock; also in '49 with Bitsy Mullin's tentet. After graduating from High School, June `50, he joined Mose Allison’s Quartet but left in August `50 to serve with the U.S. Air Force in Japan and Korea. 
        Returning from Asia, summer of `52, he was engaged for six months with Jimmy Ford’s Quartet in Houston, Texas. In `53, he formed a trio for his nine month stay at the El Morocco in Las Vegas before moving on to Los Angeles where he worked in the quartets of Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin, Teddy Edwards, Zoot Sims, Howard McGhee, Buddy DeFranco, Herb Geller, Charlie Ventura; plus the quintets of Frank Rosolino-Charlie Mariano, Ornette Coleman-Don Cherry and Shorty Rodgers-Bill Holman…all during the period between `54 and `60. 
        Next, he journeyed to New York spending `60-`62 at the Embers and Roundtable as intermission pianist. He also joined, in '61, bassist, Hal Gaylor and guitarist, Billy Bean to recorded 'The Trio' for Riverside Records before accepting employment as pianist and eventually
    Musical Director of the New York Playboy Club from `63 until `70. During this time, he attended Manhattan School Of Music where he studied, as piano major, five and a half years with Heida Hermanns and continued further studies, privately, with pianist, Linda Kessler-Ferri of New York City. 
        After four years of freelancing and teaching, he joined the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra which toured throughout the United States, three times in Europe, Scandinavia twice and once in Japan. He left the Jones-Lewis Orchestra in Munich, January `76, for seven months in Scandinavia playing solo, duo with Red Mitchell, in quartet with Dexter Gordon and quintet with Red Rodney-Zoot Sims before returning to New York City, September `76, to become a member of Charles Mingus` Quintet. 
        In January `77, he signed a five year contract with the Sender Freies Berlin Radio Orchestra establishing residence in Berlin, Germany. He joined the faculty of Hochschule der Künste as Guest-Professor for Piano Improvisation in April `84 and continued through February `94. Also throughout this period, he performed concerts each year in New York and California where in `90 he accepted a five- year recording contract with Concord Jazz, Inc. He toured Japan in `94 with the Fujitsu-Concord "Jazz Summit" Festival. 
        In addition to becoming a Steinway Artist in `95, he was selected for Arkansas` Hall Of Fame by the Jazz Heritage Foundation. In August `98, he formed Sunburst Recordings, Inc.  In 2003, he was inducted into Arkansas' Entertainer's Hall of Fame.

Edited by Christiern
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Aladar Pege- there's a name I don't see too often, but that guy is an incredible bass player.

Billy Bean's kind of a minor legend in guitar circles. He was very influential back in that era, and his decision to disappear from the jazz scene made the legend all the more mysterious. THE TRIO was a highly sought after collector's item at one time (back in the days before it came out on CD), selling in the $40 range to guitar fanatics. The same group made another recording back around the same time, and it was released on CD by String Jazz a few years ago with the title THE TRIO REDISCOVERED (SJCD 1007).

1007.jpg

Edited by Jim R
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So they mainly went under then name Hal Gaylor Trio.

According to the OJC CD liners (Jim Hall wrote the original LP liner notes), Gaylor was the one who conceived the group, so that may be why AMG listed it under Gaylor's name.

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Aladar Pege- there's a name I don't see too often, but that guy is an incredible bass player.

Billy Bean's kind of a minor legend in guitar circles. He was very influential back in that era, and his decision to disappear from the jazz scene made the legend all the more mysterious. THE TRIO was a highly sought after collector's item at one time (back in the days before it came out on CD), selling in the $40 range to guitar fanatics. The same group made another recording back around the same time, and it was released on CD by String Jazz a few years ago with the title THE TRIO REDISCOVERED (SJCD 1007).

1007.jpg

Jim, "Drifting" is a real beaut!

Bean is on one of the best dates of the Shank Mosaic, too, if I remember right.

Very nice, mellow sound. Got to check that "Trio" some day, too.

ubu

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Never knew about these records, and really only "know" Norris out of these three players.

Jim - you say Bean was "influential". How so? Tone? Vocabulary? Articulation? Hairstyle? :g Seriously, he sounds like somebody I need to know about. Details, please!

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Jim - you say Bean was "influential". How so? Tone? Vocabulary? Articulation? Hairstyle? :g Seriously, he sounds like somebody I need to know about. Details, please!

Basically, my statement simply comes from reading a lot of interviews in guitar magazines (especially jazz guitar mags) over the years, wherein Bean has often been mentioned by some great players as having been an influence. Louis Stewart names him as a major influence, and of course that's enough for me! :g I think it might be a combination of all of the above (including the hair ;)), but my gut tells me that it was a combination of his chops and his restraint in using those chops tastefully and musically. An awful lot of guitar players get showoffy when they have those kind of chops, but Bean always seemed to stay on task, and focused on the music at hand.

I can't vouch for it being 100% accurate, of course, but here's a quick link to his recording career according to AMG: Billy Bean discog

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Another one on the String Jazz label (UK):

Pisano_Bean.jpg

JOHN PISANO & BILLY BEAN: Makin' it Again - String Jazz Records

Billy Bean returned home to Philadelphia after working in a musically successful group with Hal Gaylor and Walter Norris called The Trio in the late 50s. That group created enough recognition that its fans have welcomed the reissue of those albums, and now more music by Bean has re-emerged in the company of guitarist John Pisano. If you've wondered what became of Bean, this won't answer the question, but these tracks - recorded between 1956 and 1959 - give you more reason to to find out about this little-known modern guitarist. If you've never heard of him, then this CD affords a great treat for fans of guitar or just great jazz in general.

Playlist

1. Fat Feet

2. Room 608

3. You Stepped Out of a Dream [Duo]

4. Indian Summer

5. Strike up the Band

6. Take Your Pick

7. Sweet Georgia Brown

8. Billy's Beanery

9. Safari

10. Cherokee

11. Fat Feet

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Bought 'The Trio' Riverside CD reissue on a recommendation from a friend. Loved that one. Also have the two John Pisano-Billy Bean CDs 'Makin' It Again' and 'West Coast Sessions' that were released by String Jazz. Thoroughly enjoyable music.

Wish the Pisano-Bean LP albums they recorded for Decca were reissued!

Understand they are excellent but never heard those.

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Aladar Pege- there's a name I don't see too often, but that guy is an incredible bass player.

That Hal Gaylor Trio must be one of the hidden gems in the Riverside catalogue, it got favourable reviews when Fantasy did the OJC reissue.

Walter Norris spends much time in Berlin to teach piano.

Aladar Pege is Hungary's greatest jazz bassist, there are plenty of records with him recorded over the year - a first class bass virtuoso who can compare with the best. He is Norris' bassist of choice here. All the ENJA CDs with either Norris or Pege are very good, a friend of mine has them all.

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