The tenor saxophonist, who died in 2012, would have been 100 on Oct. 3. Freeman’s weekly jam session on the New House Lounge on Chicago’s South Aspect grew to become a world pilgrimage website.
TONYA MOSLEY, HOST:
That is FRESH AIR. Tenor saxophonist Von Freeman was born October 3, 1923, in Chicago, the place he is revered. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says Freeman is not simply the patron saint of Chicago jazz musicians, but in addition of late bloomers and of all nice jazz musicians who resist transferring to New York. Kevin has this appreciation.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “99 GUYS (FEAT. VON FREEMAN COMBO)”)
THE MAPLES: (Singing) Ninety-nine guys with flips for floozy however floozy simply flips for me. She likes my hooing (ph), wooing, a-skibblyabadooing (ph) simply so simple as ABC.
KEVIN WHITEHEAD, BYLINE: Von Freeman’s band in 1954 backing The Maples, Freeman already giving younger musicians a hand. Von bought a lot of his early coaching on jam classes. And to pay it ahead, he hosted them in Chicago each week for many years, educating scores of musicians. He had studied with legendary highschool music trainer Captain Walter Dyett. For a spell, Von had a band along with his brothers, drummer Bruz and guitarist George Freeman, who’s nonetheless energetic and placing out data at 96. Von performed in an early Solar Ra band, jammed with Charlie Parker and did numerous blues gigs. He subsequent recorded alongside pianist and someday organist Andrew Hill on Von’s 1956 rarity “After Darkish.”
(SOUNDBITE OF VON FREEMAN’S “AFTER DARK”)
WHITEHEAD: That is getting nearer to the mature Von Freeman, the lagging behind the beats sense of leisure, the expressive makes use of of deviant pitch, the dyspeptic outbursts and clear articulation at excessive velocity. Nevertheless it’d be one other 16 years earlier than he made an album of his personal at age 48, produced by longtime fan Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Now we hear Von Freeman in all his full-throated glory – assured, a bit eccentric and bursting with power and concepts.
(SOUNDBITE OF VON FREEMAN’S “PORTRAIT OF JOHN YOUNG”)
WHITEHEAD: Von Freeman’s 1972 “Portrait Of John Younger,” his pianist of alternative. Von might burn, however he’d additionally linger over a sluggish ballad. It gave him time to plot his subsequent shock transfer. Right here he’s on the bridge to “Polka Dots And Moonbeams,” ostensibly enjoying the melody.
(SOUNDBITE OF VON FREEMAN’S “POLKA DOTS AND MOONBEAMS”)
WHITEHEAD: Von Freeman did just a few unaccompanied ballads, a nod to the Chicago avant-garde solo horn recitals. Von stayed loyal to the swing and bebop aesthetics of his youthful years. However along with his information and eager ears, he might make any bizarre rhythm or unsuitable be aware match wherever. And his solos might be intense to the purpose of ecstasy, barely bridled and a bit wild.
(SOUNDBITE OF VON FREEMAN’S “MR. LUCKY”)
WHITEHEAD: That is “Mr. Fortunate,” 1975. As quickly as Von Freeman’s data reached Europe, bookers began coaxing him over, if much less typically than they’d like. In Holland particularly, he’d spar with different tenor gamers, together with his son, Chico Freeman, who emerged within the late ’70s and is doing a bunch of gigs to honor his dad the centennial yr.
Von Freeman did not even go to New York a lot, the place musicians are alleged to go to get observed. However there was a 1990 Lincoln Heart gig when he bested the fiery Johnny Griffin in a tenor battle. And in ’94, he had per week on the Village Vanguard, the place he sported along with his New York rhythm trio calling outdated tunes they did not know and counting off insane tempos. However he didn’t prefer to journey. In the event you wished to listen to Von, it was simply simpler to go to Chicago, which is how South Aspect neighborhood bar the New House Lounge grew to become a world pilgrimage website Tuesday nights, when Von performed an extended set to kick off his weekly jam session.
(SOUNDBITE OF VON FREEMAN’S “SKI-WEE”)
WHITEHEAD: Von Freeman along with his common guitarist Mike Allemana, who, for the reason that saxophonist’s demise in 2012 at age 88, has turn out to be a critical Freeman scholar. He has an album known as “Vonology.” He performed with Von on the 2002 Berlin Jazz Competition. The next night time, Freeman was residence enjoying a West Chicago bar gig. That is quintessential Von Freeman. Chicago was the place his work was, educating the youngins and enjoying for his followers in his factor. Beloved as he was regionally, he had all of the gigs he might want for with out ever leaving city.
(SOUNDBITE OF VON FREEMAN’S “SCRAPPLE FROM THE APPLE”)
MOSLEY: Kevin Whitehead is the writer of the books “Play The Means You Really feel: The Important Information To Jazz Tales On Movie,” “Why Jazz?” and “New Dutch Swing.” On tomorrow’s present, Cat Bohannon, writer of the brand new e book “Eve: How The Feminine Physique Drove 200 Million Years Of Human Evolution.” It traces the evolution of girls’s our bodies, taking us by way of the Jurassic period to modern-day, exploring all the pieces from why we menstruate, usually tend to get Alzheimer’s illness and why we stay longer. I hope you may be part of us. To maintain up with what’s on the present and to get highlights of our interviews, observe us on Instagram at @nprfreshair.
FRESH AIR’s govt producer is Danny Miller. Our technical director and engineer is Audrey Bentham. Our interviews and critiques are produced and edited by Amy Salit, Phyllis Myers, Sam Briger, Lauren Krenzel, Heidi Saman, Ann Marie Baldonado, Therese Madden, Thea Chaloner, Seth Kelley and Susan Nyakundi. Our digital media producer is Molly Seavy-Nesper. Roberta Shorrock directs the present. For Terry Gross, I am Tonya Mosley.
(SOUNDBITE OF VON FREEMAN’S “SCRAPPLE FROM THE APPLE”)
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