November 8, 2013

Encore

George Freeman
By Ken Waxman

Over the years he’s played with Gene Ammons, Charlie Parker, Johnny Griffin and Richard “Groove” Holmes, composed a couple of funky jazz hits and still gigs frequently at 85, yet if Chicago-based George Freeman is known in jazz, it’s as the last remaining jazz-playing Freeman Brothers.

Baby brother of the three siblings, that included Drummer Bruz 1921-2006) and tenor saxophonist Von (1922-12012), he’s also the uncle of saxophonist Chico Freeman. Freeman says without boasting, but with no false modesty “God gave me an extremely different type of talent, but I don’t think I’ve been properly heard”. MORE