Lawrence "Bud" Freeman (April 13, 1906 – March 15, 1991)
was an American
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
musician, bandleader, and composer, known mainly for playing
tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while th ...
, but also the clarinet.
Biography
In 1922, Freeman and some friends from high school formed the Austin High School Gang.
Freeman played the
C melody saxophone
The C melody saxophone, also known as the C tenor saxophone, is a saxophone pitched in the key of C one whole tone above the common B-flat tenor saxophone. The C melody was part of the series of saxophones pitched in C and F intended by the ins ...
with band members such as
Jimmy McPartland
James Dugald "Jimmy" McPartland (March 15, 1907 – March 13, 1991) was an American cornetist. He worked with Eddie Condon, Art Hodes, Gene Krupa, Benny Goodman, Jack Teagarden, and Tommy Dorsey, often leading his own bands. He was married to ...
and
Frank Teschemacher
Frank Teschemacher (March 13, 1906 – March 1, 1932) was an American jazz clarinetist and alto-saxophonist, associated with the "Austin High" gang (along with Jimmy McPartland, Bud Freeman and others).
Early life and education
He was born in ...
. before switching to tenor saxophone two years later.
The band was influenced by the
New Orleans Rhythm Kings
The New Orleans Rhythm Kings (NORK) were one of the most influential jazz bands of the early to mid-1920s. The band included New Orleans and Chicago musicians who helped shape Chicago jazz and influenced many younger jazz musicians.
History
The ...
and
Louis Armstrong
Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
. While Armstrong was in
King Oliver
Joseph Nathan "King" Oliver (December 19, 1881 – April 8/10, 1938) was an American jazz cornet player and bandleader. He was particularly recognized for his playing style and his pioneering use of Mute (music), mutes in jazz. Also a notable c ...
's Creole Jazz Band, Freeman attended performances at Lincoln Gardens with McPartland. They were nicknamed "Alligators".
In 1927, he moved to New York City, where he worked as a session musician and band member with
Red Nichols
Ernest Loring "Red" Nichols (May 8, 1905 – June 28, 1965) was an American jazz cornetist, composer, and jazz bandleader.
Biography Early life and career
Nichols was born in Ogden, Utah, United States. His father was a college music profes ...
,
Roger Wolfe Kahn
Roger Wolfe Kahn (October 19, 1907 – July 12, 1962) was an American jazz and popular musician, composer, bandleader (Roger Wolfe Kahn and His Orchestra) and an aviator.
Life and career
Roger Wolfe Kahn (originally spelled "Wolff") was born in ...
,
Ben Pollack
Ben Pollack (June 22, 1903 – June 7, 1971) was an American drummer and bandleader from the mid-1920s through the swing era. His eye for talent led him to employ musicians such as Benny Goodman, Jack Teagarden, Glenn Miller, Jimmy McPartland, ...
, and
Joe Venuti
Giuseppe "Joe" Venuti (September 16, 1903 – August 14, 1978) was an American jazz musician and pioneer jazz violinist.
Considered the father of jazz violin, he pioneered the use of string instruments in jazz along with the guitarist Eddie La ...
. One of his most notable performances was a solo on
Eddie Condon
Albert Edwin Condon (November 16, 1905 – August 4, 1973) was an American jazz banjoist, guitarist, and bandleader. A leading figure in Chicago jazz, he also played piano and sang.
Early years
Condon was born in Goodland, Indiana, the son of J ...
's 1933 recording, ''The Eel'',
which became Freeman's nickname for his long snake-like improvisations. Freeman played with
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...
's Orchestra (1936–1938) and
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing".
From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...
's band in 1938, before forming the Summa Cum Laude Orchestra (1939–1940).
Freeman joined the U.S. Army during World War II and headed a U.S. Army band in the Aleutian Islands.
After the war, Freeman returned to New York and led his own groups.
He also worked with
Buck Clayton
Wilbur Dorsey "Buck" Clayton (November 12, 1911 – December 8, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter who was a member of Count Basie's orchestra. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong, first hearing the record "Confessin' That I Love You" ...
,
Ruby Braff
Reuben "Ruby" Braff (March 16, 1927 – February 9, 2003) was an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist. Jack Teagarden was once asked about him on the Garry Moore television show and described Ruby as "the Ivy League Louis Armstrong".
Braff ...
,
Vic Dickenson
Victor Dickenson (August 6, 1906 – November 16, 1984) was an American jazz trombonist. His career began in the 1920s and continued through musical partnerships with Count Basie (1940–41), Sidney Bechet (1941), and Earl Hines.
Life and care ...
, and
Jo Jones
Jonathan David Samuel Jones (October 7, 1911 – September 3, 1985) was an American jazz drummer. A band leader and pioneer in jazz percussion, Jones anchored the Count Basie Orchestra rhythm section from 1934 to 1948. He was sometimes k ...
. In 1960, he wrote the book and lyrics for the Broadway musical ''
Beg, Borrow or Steal
''Beg, Borrow or Steal'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Wilhelm Thiele and written by Leonard Lee, Harry Ruskin and Marion Parsonnet. The film stars Frank Morgan, Florence Rice, John Beal, Janet Beecher, Herman Bing and Erik Rho ...
'',
which included the ballad "Zen Is When", later recorded by the
Dave Brubeck
David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasti ...
Quartet on ''Jazz Impressions of Japan'' (1964). He was a member of the
World's Greatest Jazz Band The World's Greatest Jazz Band was an all-star jazz ensemble active from 1968 to 1978.
Dick Gibson founded the group at his sixth Jazz Party, an annual event. The group performed mostly Dixieland jazz and recorded extensively. It was co-led by ...
in 1969 and 1970. In 1974, he moved to England and continued to record and perform.
Freeman spent some time on the
Isle of Man
)
, anthem = "O Land of Our Birth"
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, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europe ...
and was a guest of Manx musician Jim Caine. After returning to Chicago in 1980, he continued to work into his eighties.
He wrote two memoirs (''You Don't Look Like a Musician'' (1974) and ''If You Know of a Better Life, Please Tell Me'' (1976))
and an autobiography (''Crazeology'') with
Robert Wolf. In 1992, Freeman was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.
Death
Freeman died March 15, 1991,
at the Warren Barr Pavilion, a nursing home in Chicago. He was 84 years old. His death came days after the March 13 demise of Austin High School Gang member,
Jimmy McPartland
James Dugald "Jimmy" McPartland (March 15, 1907 – March 13, 1991) was an American cornetist. He worked with Eddie Condon, Art Hodes, Gene Krupa, Benny Goodman, Jack Teagarden, and Tommy Dorsey, often leading his own bands. He was married to ...
.
Discography
* ''Comes Jazz'' (
Columbia, 1950)
* ''Battle of Jazz, Vol. 1'' (
Brunswick, 1953)
* ''Bud Freeman and the Chicagoans'' (
Paramount
Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to:
Entertainment and music companies
* Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...
, 1954)
* ''Test of Time'' (
Bethlehem
Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
, 1955)
* ''Bud Freeman'' (Bethlehem, 1955)
* ''Midnight at Eddie Condon's'' (Emarcy, 1955)
* ''Jazz: Chicago Style'' (Columbia, 1955)
* ''Bud Freeman and His All-Star Jazz'' (
Harmony
In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However ...
, 1957)
* ''The Bud Freeman Group'' (
Stere-O-Craft, 1957)
* ''Chicago/Austin High School Jazz in Hi-Fi'' (BMG Ariola, 1957)
* ''Bud Freeman & His Summa Cum Laude Trio'' (
Dot, 1958)
* ''
The Bud Freeman All-Stars featuring Shorty Baker'' (
Swingville, 1960) with
Shorty Baker
Harold "Shorty" Baker (May 26, 1914 in St. Louis, Missouri, US – November 8, 1966) was an American jazz trumpeter.
Baker began on drums, but switched to trumpet during his teens. He started his career on riverboats and played with Don Redman in ...
* ''Midnight Session'' (Dot, 1960) with Mary Mulligan
* ''Summer Concert 1960'' (Jazz Archives, 1960)
* ''Something to Remember You By'' (
Black Lion Black Lion, Black Lions, or Blacklions may refer to:
Businesses and organisations
* Black Lion, Hammersmith, a London pub
* Black Lion, Kilburn, a London pub
* Black Lion Records, a British jazz record company
* Black Lions Films, associated wit ...
, 1962)
* ''Chicago'' (Black Lion, 1962)
* ''Something Tender'' (
United Artists
United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...
, 1963)
* ''The Compleat Bud Freeman'' (Monmouth, 1970)
* ''The Joy of Sax'' (
Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro ( , ; ), in art, is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to achi ...
, 1974)
* ''Jazz Meeting in Holland'' (
Circle
A circle is a shape consisting of all points in a plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the centre. Equivalently, it is the curve traced out by a point that moves in a plane so that its distance from a given point is const ...
, 1975)
* ''Song of the Tenor'' (
Philips
Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), commonly shortened to Philips, is a Dutch multinational conglomerate corporation that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, it has been mostly headquartered in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarters i ...
, 1975)
* ''Two Beautiful'' (Circle, 1976)
* ''Bucky and Bud'' (
Flying Dutchman
The ''Flying Dutchman'' ( nl, De Vliegende Hollander) is a legendary ghost ship, allegedly never able to make port, but doomed to sail the seven seas forever. The myth is likely to have originated from the 17th-century Golden Age of the Dut ...
, 1976)
* ''Live in Harlem'' (Cat, 1978)
* ''California Session'' (
Jazzology
Jazzology Records is an American jazz record company and label. It is part of the Jazzology group of labels owned and operated by the George H. Buck Jr. Jazz Foundation.
Jazzology Records was founded in 1949 by George H. Buck, Jr. That year he ...
, 1982)
* ''The Real Bud Freeman'' (1984) (Principally Jazz, 1985)
* ''Superbud'' (Jazzology, 1992)
With
Rex Stewart
Rex William Stewart Jr. (February 22, 1907 – September 7, 1967) was an American jazz cornetist who was a member of the Duke Ellington orchestra.
Career
As a boy he studied piano and violin; most of his career was spent on cornet. Stewart drop ...
and
Cootie Williams
Charles Melvin "Cootie" Williams (July 10, 1911 – September 15, 1985) was an American jazz, jump blues, and rhythm and blues trumpeter.
Biography
Born in Mobile, Alabama, Williams began his professional career at the age of 14 with the Yo ...
*''
The Big Challenge
''The Big Challenge'' is an album by trumpeter Cootie Williams and cornetist Rex Stewart, recorded in 1957 and released on the Jazztone label. '' (Jazztone, 1957)
With
George Wein
George Wein (October 3, 1925 – September 13, 2021) was an American jazz promoter, pianist, and producer.
*''
Newport Jazz Festival All Stars
''Newport Jazz Festival All Stars'' is a live album by an all star group assembled by pianist/promoter George Wein that featured trumpeter Buck Clayton, saxophonist Bud Freeman, trombonist Vic Dickenson and clarinetist Pee Wee Russell which was ...
'' (Atlantic, 1959
960
Year 960 ( CMLX) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* Summer – Siege of Chandax: A Byzantine fleet with an expeditionary force (co ...
with
Buck Clayton
Wilbur Dorsey "Buck" Clayton (November 12, 1911 – December 8, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter who was a member of Count Basie's orchestra. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong, first hearing the record "Confessin' That I Love You" ...
,
Pee Wee Russell
Charles Ellsworth "Pee Wee" Russell (March 27, 1906 – February 15, 1969), was an American jazz musician. Early in his career he played clarinet and saxophones, but he eventually focused solely on clarinet.
With a highly individualistic and sp ...
,
Vic Dickenson
Victor Dickenson (August 6, 1906 – November 16, 1984) was an American jazz trombonist. His career began in the 1920s and continued through musical partnerships with Count Basie (1940–41), Sidney Bechet (1941), and Earl Hines.
Life and care ...
, Champ Jones and
Jake Hanna
Jake Hanna (April 4, 1931 – February 12, 2010) was an American jazz drummer.
He was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, United States. Hanna first performed in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the house drummer at Storyville nightclub in Boston, ...
*''
George Wein & the Newport All-Stars'' (
Impulse!
Impulse! Records (occasionally styled as "¡mpulse! Records" and "¡!") is an American jazz record company and label established by Creed Taylor in 1960. John Coltrane was among Impulse!'s earliest signings. Thanks to consistent sales and positiv ...
, 1962)
References
External links
Guide to the Roger Isaacs Collection of Bud Freeman Papers 1918-1995at th
University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center Bud Freeman: Profile in JazzSyncopatedtimes.com
Bud Freeman recordingsat the
Discography of American Historical Recordings
The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...
.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freeman, Bud
1906 births
1991 deaths
Musicians from Chicago
Jazz musicians from Illinois
20th-century American male musicians
20th-century clarinetists
20th-century American saxophonists
American expatriates in the United Kingdom
American jazz bandleaders
American jazz clarinetists
American jazz tenor saxophonists
American male jazz musicians
American male saxophonists
Dixieland jazz musicians
Jewish American musicians
United States Army Band musicians
World's Greatest Jazz Band members
Chiaroscuro Records artists
Columbia Records artists
EmArcy Records artists
Majestic Records artists
20th-century American Jews