Bean's Self Portrait -Hawkins 1962

Bean’s Self Portrait – Hawkins Ellington 1962

“Duke Ellington came to me” Coleman Hawkins remembers and said: “You know, I want to you make a record with me, and I’m going to write a number specially for you” It took almost 20 years and finally in 1962 in the famous Rudy van Gelder studio in New Jersey the two giants had a chance to record together.
Years ago I bought the Impulse LP and on there was this beautiful Ellington/Strayhorn composition.
Of course there is no film of this recording, I think, so I added a few pictures of Coleman
(nicknamed Bean).
The back-up band is a small Ellington group consisting of Ray Nance cornet, Lawrence Brown trombone, Johnny Hodges alto sax, Harry Carney baritone sax and in the rhythm group you hear Duke on piano, Aaron Bell bass and Sam Woodyard drums