Bean and the Boys is a bebop tune written in 1948 by American jazz tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins. It is a contrafact of Lover Come Back to Me, meaning Hawkins wrote new melodies over the original chord changes. The piece has been widely covered by artists such as Barry Harris, Art Blakey, Jackie McLean, Bud Powell, and Tommy Flanagan, with notable recordings including Barry Harris Magnificent (1969) and Bill Mays Bick's Bag (2004). A later interpretation appears on the Fonè label as Bean And The Boys, featuring Scott Hamilton on tenor sax, Paolo Birro on piano, and Alfred Kramer on drums, released March 10, 2017 as SACD 146. This recording both honors Hawkins’ bebop legacy and presents the tune to a modern jazz audience.
