Chico Freeman

Last updated
Chico Freeman
Chico Freeman 1989.jpg
Chico Freeman in 1989, at the North Sea Jazz Festival with The Leaders.
Background information
Born (1949-07-17) July 17, 1949 (age 75)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres Jazz
Instrument(s) Tenor saxophone, bass clarinet

Chico Freeman (born Earl Lavon Freeman Jr.; July 17, 1949) [1] is a modern jazz tenor saxophonist and trumpeter and son of jazz saxophonist Von Freeman. He began recording as lead musician in 1976 with Morning Prayer, won the New York Jazz Award in 1979 and earned the Stereo Review Record of the Year in 1981 for his album The Outside Within. [2] [3]

Contents

Early years

He was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of jazz tenor saxophonist Von Freeman. His uncle George Freeman played the guitar, and his uncle Bruz Freeman played the drums. [1] Freeman took piano lessons as a child and was introduced to the trumpet by his brother Everett, who found a trumpet in the family basement. [2] Freeman began playing, inspired by artists such as Miles Davis and his Kind of Blue album. He went to Northwestern University in 1967 with a scholarship for mathematics and played the trumpet in the school, but did not begin playing the saxophone until his junior year. [1] After practicing eight to ten hours per day and trying out for the saxophone section, Freeman quickly changed his major to music, and graduated in 1972. By that time he was proficient in saxophone, trumpet, and piano.

After graduation, Freeman taught at the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians School of Music in Chicago, [1] and started taking classes as a graduate student at Governors State University, earning a master's degree in composition and theory. Although most of Freeman's musical upbringing had been in jazz, at this time he began getting involved in blues music as well. He began playing at local Chicago clubs with artists such as Memphis Slim and Lucky Carmichael.

Career

Chico Freeman - Portrait by Gert Chesi Chico Freeman - Portrait by Gert Chesi.jpg
Chico Freeman - Portrait by Gert Chesi

1976 saw the release of Freeman's first album as lead musician, Morning Prayer. The next year he moved to New York City, and widened his musical influences. The following years would be the most productive of his career, producing albums such as No Time Left, Tradition in Transition, and The Outside Within; the last of which earned him Record of the Year from Stereo Review .

He came to prominence in the late 1970s as part of a movement including Wynton Marsalis of modern players steeped in the traditions of jazz, recording for independent labels like India Navigation and Contemporary Records. Freeman's albums contain standards and compositions by modernists like John Coltrane as well as new tunes by Freeman and his contemporaries such as bassist Cecil McBee. [1] The line-up on his 1981 album Destiny's Dance includes Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Hutcherson, Cecil McBee (these two contributing compositions), with Freeman playing tenor saxophone and bass clarinet. Freeman formed the band Guataca and released Oh By the Way... in 2002. Freeman has toured internationally, both with his band as well as with Chaka Khan, Tomasz Stanko, Celia Cruz and Tito Puente. Members of Guataca include Hilton Ruiz, Ruben Rodriguez, Yoron Israel, and Giovanni Hidalgo.

In 1989, he put together an electric band called Brainstorm, consisting of himself, Delmar Brown (vocals and keyboards), Norman Hedman (percussion), Chris Walker (bassist), Archie Walker (drums). [4]

In 1998, Freeman produced an album for Arthur Blythe called NightSong, and in 1999 he began teaching at New School University.

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hard bop</span> Subgenre of jazz music

Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospel music, and blues, especially in saxophone and piano playing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hank Mobley</span> American jazz saxophonist and composer (1930–1986)

Henry Mobley was an American tenor saxophonist and composer. Mobley was described by Leonard Feather as the "middleweight champion of the tenor saxophone", a metaphor used to describe his tone, that was neither as aggressive as John Coltrane nor as mellow as Lester Young, and his style that was laid-back, subtle and melodic, especially in contrast with players such as Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. The critic Stacia Proefrock claimed him "one of the most underrated musicians of the bop era." Mobley's compositions include "Double Exposure", "Soul Station", and "Dig Dis".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art Porter Jr.</span> American jazz saxophonist

Arthur Lee Porter Jr. was an American jazz saxophonist. He was the son of jazz musician Art Porter Sr. and the namesake of "The Art Porter Bill".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lester Bowie</span> American jazz trumpeter and composer (1941–1999)

Lester Bowie was an American jazz trumpet player and composer. He was a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and co-founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Straight-ahead jazz</span> Genre of jazz

Straight-ahead jazz is a genre of jazz that developed in the 1960s, with roots in the prior two decades. It omits the rock music and free jazz influences that began to appear in jazz during this period, instead preferring acoustic instruments, conventional piano comping, walking bass patterns, and swing- and bop-based drum rhythms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Von Freeman</span> American jazz saxophonist

Earle Lavon "Von" Freeman Sr. was an American hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Nash (saxophonist, born 1960)</span> American jazz saxophonist, flutist and composer

Ted Nash is an American jazz saxophonist, flutist and composer. Born into a musical family, his uncle was saxophonist Ted Nash and his father is trombonist Dick Nash, both prominent jazz soloists and first call Hollywood studio musicians. Nash is a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra directed by Wynton Marsalis. He is one of the founders of the Jazz Composers Collective.

<i>Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn</i> 1992 studio album by Joe Henderson

Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn is an album by the jazz saxophonist Joe Henderson. Composed of songs written by Billy Strayhorn, the album was a critical and commercial success, leading to the first of three Grammy Awards Henderson would receive while under contract with Verve Records. The album had sold nearly 90,000 copies at the time of Henderson's death in 2001 and has been re-released by Verve, Polygram, and in hybrid SACD format by Universal. Musicians on the album are trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, pianist Stephen Scott, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Gregory Hutchinson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Freeman (guitarist)</span> American jazz guitarist from Chicago

George Freeman is an American jazz guitarist and recording artist. He is known for his sophisticated technique, collaborations with high-profile performers, and notable presence in the jazz scene of Chicago, Illinois. He is the younger brother of tenor saxophonist Von Freeman and drummer Eldridge "Bruz" Freeman, and the uncle of tenor saxophonist and trumpeter Chico Freeman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Branford Marsalis</span> American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader

Branford Marsalis is an American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ensembles and has led the group Buckshot LeFonque. From 1992 to 1995 he led the Tonight Show Band.

<i>Joe Cools Blues</i> 1995 studio album by Wynton Marsalis and Ellis Marsalis

Joe Cool's Blues is an album by jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and his father Ellis Marsalis that was released in 1995. The album reached a peak position of No. 3 on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart.

<i>Standard Time, Vol. 2: Intimacy Calling</i> 1990 studio album by Wynton Marsalis

Standard Time, Vol. 2: Intimacy Calling is an album by jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis that was released in 1990. The album reached peak positions of number 112 on the Billboard 200 and number 1 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.

<i>Standard Time, Vol. 6: Mr. Jelly Lord</i> 1999 studio album by Wynton Marsalis

Standard Time, Vol. 6: Mr. Jelly Lord is an album by jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis that was released in 1999. The album peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.

<i>Standard Time, Vol. 4: Marsalis Plays Monk</i> 1999 studio album by Wynton Marsalis

Standard Time, Vol. 4: Marsalis Plays Monk is an album by the jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, released in 1999.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is an American big band and jazz orchestra led by trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. The orchestra is part of Jazz at Lincoln Center, a performing arts organization in New York City.

<i>Destinys Dance</i> 1982 studio album by Chico Freeman

Destiny's Dance is an album by American jazz saxophonist Chico Freeman, recorded in 1981 and released on the Contemporary label.

This is the discography for American jazz musician Chico Freeman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Stewart (saxophonist)</span> American saxophonist

Robert Darrin Stewart is an American saxophonist. He recorded several albums under his own name during the period 1994–2006. He has also recorded as a sideman, including on trumpeter Wynton Marsalis' Blood on the Fields. Stewart went on multiple national and world tours during his 30-year career as a performer, both under his own name and with the Marsalis band.

<i>Wandering Moon</i> 2000 studio album by Terence Blanchard

Wandering Moon is a studio album by American trumpeter Terence Blanchard. The album was released on February 15, 2000, via Sony Classical label. Blanchard wrote most of the compositions for the record, except for pianist Edward Simon’s waltz "The Process" and jazz standard "I Thought About You". For the latter song, the album was nominated in 2000 for Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo.

<i>Slipping and Sliding</i> 1994 studio album by The Leaders

Slipping and Sliding is an album by the all-star jazz group The Leaders. It was recorded in June 1993 and January 1994 in Brooklyn, New York, and was released in 1994 by the Japanese label Sound Hills Records. The album features performances by tenor saxophonist Chico Freeman, alto saxophonist Arthur Blythe, trumpeter Lester Bowie, pianist Kirk Lightsey, bassist Cecil McBee, and drummer Don Moye.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 151. ISBN   0-85112-580-8.
  2. 1 2 Pilchak, Angela (2005). Contemporary Musicians. Vol. 49. Detroit:Gale. pp. 71–73. ISBN   978-0-7876-8062-6.
  3. Scott Yanow (1949-07-17). "Chico Freeman | Biography & History". AllMusic . Retrieved 2016-02-09.
  4. "Catalogue 2008" (PDF). Inandout-records.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-02-09.