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Chico Freeman

Heralded as one of the most important saxophonists of our time, musician, composer and producer Chico Freeman marked his return to the United States after more than a decade living and working in Europe with a new album and a new group in 2016.

In the early 2000s, with dozens of recordings as a leader, Freeman moved from New York to Europe to start a new chapter of chico2011exploration by focusing on his own self-improvement and self-reflection. His thirst to immerse himself in his music, his curiosity to explore working with different musicians and living in different cultures and challenging himself to be better than he was, all prepared Freeman for this new stateside chapter of his life.

“As much as I’ve travelled and on the road playing with such masters as McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Jack DeJohnette, Sam Rivers, Sun Ra, Dizzy Gillespie and so many jazz greats, as well as leading my own groups including founding “The Leaders” and the group “Roots,” an inner voice was telling me, you need to go to another level both musically and personally,“ Freeman explains. “You need to work with other musicians from different cultures and create new avenues of expression.

As part of the Freeman family legacy of Chicago; his father, legendary NEA Jazz Master saxophonist Von Freeman; his uncles, guitarist George Freeman; and drummer Bruz Freeman, Chico amassed a diverse résumé of performing R&B to blues, hard bop to avant-garde. His collegiate studies in Advanced Composition and Theory at Northwestern University led him to teach composition at the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) Music School, and while attaining his Masters in Composition and Theory at Governor State University, he studied composition with NEA Jazz Master Muhal Richard Abrams.

Although jazz was the first music Freeman was exposed to, many of his early professional gigs were at Chicago clubs with such blues artists as Memphis Slim, and Lucky Carmichael. Freeman went on to play with pop and R & B greats The Temptations, Michael Jackson, The Four Tops, Jackie Wilson, The Dells, The Isley Brothers, and The Eurythmics.

After arriving in New York, he immediately began working with Jeanne Lee, Mickey Bass, John Stubblefield, and Cecil McBee. Through apprenticeships in New York and abroad with such innovators as Elvin Jones, Don Pullen, Sam Rivers, Sun Ra, and Jack DeJohnette, Freeman developed his own group and rapidly rose to prominence with his energetic and exploratory style.

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8
Album Review

George Freeman: Everybody Say Yeah!

Read "Everybody Say Yeah!" reviewed by Mark Corroto


It took a long time (much too long) for listeners to recognize the brilliance that was Chicago saxophonist Fred Anderson. The New York-centric jazz cognoscenti have often overlooked talent that comes from Chicago, and artists were often drawn to The Big Apple to seek the recognition they deserved. Beginning in the '90s, though, the focal point of creative music shifted to Chicago and veteran musicians such as Von Freeman, Fred Anderson, and Harrison Bankhead, plus (then) younger talents, Ken Vandermark, ...

4
Album Review

George Freeman/Chico Freeman: All In The Family

Read "All In The Family" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


There are few things more quintessentially “Chicago" in jazz than the Freeman family. Tenor titan Von Freeman ruled the roost in The Windy City decade after decade until his death in 2012; his brother, George Freeman, played with everybody from saxophonist Charlie Parker to organist Shirley Scott; his other brother, the late Eldridge “Bruz" Freeman, was part of the house band at the Pershing and the drummer in Hampton Hawes' quartet with Jim Hall; and Von's son, saxophonist Chico Freeman, ...

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17

Festival

Ballard Jazz Festival Preview: A Seattle Rite Of Spring

Ballard Jazz Festival Preview: A Seattle Rite Of Spring

Source: Paul Rauch

The Ballard Jazz Festival, Seattle's most anticipated and community oriented jazz event, will take place May 17-20, and will headline legendary saxophonist, Chico Freeman. Dubbed three decades ago as one of the “young lions" of jazz for his participation in recordings with other “stars to be," such as Wynton Marsalis, Kevin Eubanks, and Paquito D'Rivera, Freeman's career has established him as one of the true modern masters of the saxophone, and jazz composition. Freeman will be featured at the festival ...

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Interview

Chico Freeman & Bobby Watson Interview

Chico Freeman & Bobby Watson Interview

Source: All About Jazz

Chico Freeman & Bobby Watson interview This interview is part of the book project “under your skin" which will include Interviews with: Anthony Braxton, Ornette Coleman, Cindy Blackman, Taj Mahal, Yusef Lateef, Bill Frisell, Bob James, Skip Mcdonald, Erika Stucky, Living Colour, Dj Rob Swift, Marilyn Crispell, Dick Griffin, Billy Bang, Kahil El Zabaar, Michael Ricci - All About Jazz, Val-Inc, Esperanza Spalding, Eddie Henderson, Dinosaur Jr, ...

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Performance / Tour

Chico Freeman Quartet w/Hilton Ruiz Saturday, Oct 7th 8:00pm Creole Restaurant & Jazz Supper Club

Chico Freeman Quartet w/Hilton Ruiz Saturday, Oct 7th 8:00pm Creole Restaurant & Jazz Supper Club

Source: All About Jazz

October 5, 2005 To: Listings/Critics/Features From: JAZZ PROMO SERVICES Press Contact: JIM EIGO, [email protected] Creole Restaurant & Jazz Supper Club N'Awlins & Creole Cuisine 2167 Third at 118th Street, East Harlem, NYC http://www.creolenyc.com 212-876-8838 SPECIAL EVENT Saturday, Oct 7, 2005 Dinner from 6:00pm, Supper club First Show at 8:00pm: CHICO FREEMAN QUARTET with Chico Freeman-tenor sax and Hilton Ruiz-piano. Expect to hear a spectrum of jazz, a slice of recent jazz history, as Chico and Hilton take us on a ...

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Performance / Tour

Chico Freeman Quartet At Cecil

Chico Freeman Quartet At Cecil

Source: All About Jazz


Wataru Uchida
saxophone, tenor

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Everybody Say Yeah!

Southport Records
2022

buy

All In The Family

Southport Records
2015

buy

Essence Of Silence

DRG Records
2010

buy

Rent Romus' Jazz On...

Edgetone Records
2008

buy

Spirits Alike

Double Moon
2007

buy

Oh, By The Way

DRG Records
2001

buy

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