1963 · Album
Back in Bean's Bag
Recorded Late 1962 · Columbia · Produced by Not specified in available sources
When Hawkins and Terry Found Their Groove
Terry and Hawkins swing hard together, no pretense, just two pros enjoying the date.
Late 1962 brought Coleman Hawkins and trumpeter Clark Terry into the studio together for what became Back in Bean's Bag (1962), a straightforward swing session that sits comfortably in both men's catalogs without demanding attention as a career statement. This was solid work — the kind of date that happened regularly in New York when two respected players with compatible tastes decided to make a record. No concept album, no grand ambition, just good musicians doing what they'd spent decades learning to do.
What matters here is the chemistry. Terry brought an exuberant energy that lifted the date, particularly on "Feedin' the Bean" and a version of "Don't Worry About Me" that AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow praised for its delightfulness. Hawkins, by that point in his career, wasn't trying to prove anything anymore — he simply showed up and played with the authority of someone who'd already changed the instrument once. His work on the ballad "Michelle" showed he could still reach for depth when the tune asked for it, moving beyond the upbeat swagger that defined much of the session.
This isn't a record to start with if you're new to Hawkins. It's the kind of album that matters most to people already familiar with both players — a document of two professionals finding enough common ground for ninety minutes of music that works, without reaching for anything bigger. The Columbia label release captured something genuine about how experienced jazz musicians could still enjoy a date together, even if the record itself didn't shift anyone's thinking about what either man was capable of.
Who's playing
Major Holleydouble bass
Tommy Flanaganpiano
Coleman Hawkinstenor saxophone
Clark Terrytrumpet
Dave Baileydrums
Where next?
More by Coleman Hawkins
Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins 1963
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The Hawk Flies High 1957
Coleman Hawkins and Confrères
The Hawk Relaxes 1961
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
