George Freeman's a Freakin' GAS!!!

[JSngry]

So I did.

[Jim Alfredson]

Are you talkin' about recent George Freeman or earlier?

[JSngry]

Everything I've heard. The guy's a trip!

[Jim Alfredson]

I'll second that he's a trip although I don't know if it's a goodun' or not. Granted, the only record I have by him is a recent Savant (I think) release that I was not impressed by... but who am I?

[Noj]

I have some tracks by a George Freeman called "The Bump" parts one and two. Funky! Same cat?

[Rooster_Ties]

I used to have this on CD, but don't know what happened to it. (Can't imagine I traded it, but stranger things have happened.)

Von's bro. Same cat??

Listening to some on-line samples now. Damn, where'd my copy of this one go to??

[JSngry]

Same cat.

I was listening to Griff's BUSH DANCE reissue last night, and George just made me get happy, like he always does. A tone and attack suitable for a late-40s L.A. jumb blues band, deviously fluid chops, and no compunctions against going against the grain of the harmony. What's not to love there?

Jim - you got that LAST BLUES ALBUM, VOL. 1, w/McGriff, Jacquet, George, & Buddy Rich?

[Dan Gould]

I gots me a super, super rare George Freeman date, his first as a leader, I think, with Charlie Earland, on a local Philly label, I think ... I need to dig it out. Wish I could scan the cover. Got it on ebay, the seller turned out to be in Miami, told me he haunts the thrifts for these rare finds. He probably paid a quarter for it. I got it for a bit more. Quite a bit more.

And he wouldn't tell me what thrift stores he haunts.

[jazzbo]

Dan, I'm so surprised he didn't tell you!

I sometimes have George and Calvin Newborn mixed up in my mind, I find them to have similar styles . . . I dig them both.

[pryan]

I thought for a minute you meant George Foreman, the boxer. And by "gas" I thought you were punning on the George Foreman grill.... Uh, nevermind, maybe I'll just have to check this cat out.

[Dan Gould]

If anyone's curious, I dug out the vinyl:

Introducing George Freeman Live with Charlie Earland Sitting In (Giant Step Records GS005)

Wonder what the first four albums the label issued? No dates given, but the liners have a reference to the June 10, 1971 DB, so this must have been the second leader date George had, after the one Delmark put out (the liners also refer to his brother "Vaughan"-is that an alternate spelling of "Von"?). Recorded at the Aqua Lounge, no other personnel identified, tunes are: Stormy Monday Blues, A Very Good Year, 3 O'Clock in the Morning Blues, Let it Be, Something, Getting To Know You, Funky Walk, Wine and Roses, Girl Talk, Strangers in the Night and Old Folks.

Pretty neat thing to hear, though it would have been nicer if it had been me finding it at the thrift store.

[Soul Stream]

I really dig George Freeman. Man, that guy has a totally UNIQUE style and sound!!!! Pretty wild. George represents what used to be really cool about jazz, personality. And he has plenty of it on his instrument.

[mailman]

I've got his two sessions for Groove Merchant recorded in 1972 and 1974.

'New And Improved Funk' - Groove Merchant GM 519

George Freeman-Guitar

Von Freeman-Tenor

John Young-Piano

LeRoy Jackson-Bass

Bob Gutherie-Drums

Bobby Blevins-Organ

Marion Booker-Drums

'Man And Woman' - Groove Merchant GM 3305

George Freeman-Guitar

Kenny Barron-Electric Piano

Harold Mabern-Piano, Electric Piano

Bob Cranshaw-Bass

Buddy Williams-Drums

Bernard Purdie-Drums

Great stuff that needs to be heard. Both these recordings were produced by Sonny Lester.

[Eric]

  Soul Stream said:

I really dig George Freeman. Man, that guy has a totally UNIQUE style and sound!!!! Pretty wild. George represents what used to be really cool about jazz, personality. And he has plenty of it on his instrument.

You nailed it!! For the perfect demonstration, check out "Mama, Papa, Brother" off Birth Sign. One of my all-time favorite jazz cuts.

In addition to the Delmark album, this one is definitive:

Plus, note the groovy photo of George on this one:

Edited March 28, 2006 by Eric

[Eric]

  Jim Alfredson said:

I'll second that he's a trip although I don't know if it's a goodun' or not. Granted, the only record I have by him is a recent Savant (I think) release that I was not impressed by... but who am I?

Notwithstanding what I said above, I agree - this one is not quite the goods. I also struggle a little with "George Burns", a newer one on Southport. But mostly because "Birth Sign" and "Rebellion" are so damn good, the newer ones suffer a bit by comparison. But still *loaded* with personality!!

Edited March 28, 2006 by Eric

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

After Grant Green, George Freeman and Calvin Newborn are my second favourite guitarists.

Some Freeman to look out for, in addition to what's been posted above:

Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt - You talk that talk - George's intro to "The sun died" is absolutely a killer! So simple, so effective.

Gene Ammons - The black cat - This and the one above are on one CD Legends of Acid Jazz PR24188

Jimmy McGriff - Fly dude - Groove Merchant

Jimmy McGriff - Friday the 13th, live at Cook County Jail - Groove Merchant (the B side of this is by Lucky Thompson and is only OK)

I guess you can get tracks from Fly Dude on one of those horrid LRC compilations; I've never bothered to look.

Groove Holmes & Les McCann - Groove - Pacific Jazz

Mickey Fields - The astonishing Mickey Fields - Edmar. This is a bit difficult to find I think. Fields was the local Baltimore tenor hero and dangerous man to have sitting in on your gigs. This one was recorded live at a Left Bank Jazz Society gig with Fields sitting in with Groove Holmes band - the same personnel as on "The Groover".

Groove Holmes and Jimmy McGriff - Come together - Groove Merchant (not the live set)

MG

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

  Dan Gould said:

If anyone's curious, I dug out the vinyl:

Introducing George Freeman Live with Charlie Earland Sitting In (Giant Step Records GS005)

Wonder what the first four albums the label issued? No dates given, but the liners have a reference to the June 10, 1971 DB, so this must have been the second leader date George had, after the one Delmark put out (the liners also refer to his brother "Vaughan"-is that an alternate spelling of "Von"?). Recorded at the Aqua Lounge, no other personnel identified, tunes are: Stormy Monday Blues, A Very Good Year, 3 O'Clock in the Morning Blues, Let it Be, Something, Getting To Know You, Funky Walk, Wine and Roses, Girl Talk, Strangers in the Night and Old Folks.

Pretty neat thing to hear, though it would have been nicer if it had been me finding it at the thrift store.

This album comes from a few sessions, it seems to me. Some of the tracks have Earland on organ, while others have Jimmy McGriff's band; you can definitely hear Fats Theus and O'Donel Levy in there as well as McGriff on "Something" and "3 AM blues".

MG

PS the album has also been issued on the Rare Bird label under Charles Earland's name.

PS and Trip, I think.

Edited March 28, 2006 by The Magnificent Goldberg

[marcello]

He had a unique way of holding his guitar with it slung chest high over his right shoulder only, like some sort of gun slinger. Last time I saw him was with Jack McDuff ( with the great Joe Dukes on drums) in the early '90's. He slashed & burned!

I also saw that band with Rich, McGriff, Jacquet and Freeman.

That's george on the right:

Here's a radio interview:

INTERVIEW

[Cootie625]

I’m a couple of decades late to the discussion, but for fans of George who  find this topic, George just released in June 2023 a new album recorded in May-June 2022, after George turned 95.  The album has two trio sessions, one with Christian McBride and Carl Allen and the other with the late Joey DeFrancesco and Lewis Nash.  You can buy the CD or just listen at this link:

https://li.sten.to/7c8c12xx

[Rabshakeh]

What a great thread this is. 

[GA Russell]

•  

George Freeman The Good Life Impacting July 12th, 2023 Format(s): Jazz   # Artist and Track Title Time       1. George Freeman - If I Had You 11:05       2. George Freeman - Mr. D 07:39       3. George Freeman - Up and Down 06:04       4. George Freeman - Lowe Groovin' 05:53       5. George Freeman - 1,2,3,4 03:56       6. George Freeman - Sister Tankersley 09:48       7. George Freeman - The Good Life 06:31     New from the legendary guitarist George Freeman George Freeman The Good Life HighNote Records HCD 7352   George Freeman – guitar   Joey DeFrancesco – organ (tracks 1, 2, & 3) Lewis Nash – drums (tracks 1, 2, & 3) Christian McBride – bass (tracks 4, 5, 6, & 7) Carl Allen – drums (tracks 4, 5, 6, & 7)   Airplay Starts Now   •   Suggested Tracks 2.  Mr. D  (7:39)   •   3.  Up and Down  (6:04) 4.  Lowe Groovin’  (5:53)   •   5.  1,2,3,4  (3:56)   George Freeman has been part of jazz for nearly a century. Brother of Von and uncle of Chico Freeman, he's worked with the greats, such as Charlie Parker and Ben Webster. Appearing on the recording is the great organist Joey DeFrancesco, going into the studio just a couple of months before his untimely death.  Also featured on 4 tracks is bass phenom Christian McBride stoking up some swinging performances with Freeman. Drummers Lewis Nash and Carl Allen provide propulsive rhythms throughout.  It must be said, however, that the pulsing heart of the band is Freeman himself, who plays with integrity and enthusiasm and who continues to bring an impressive lifetime of experience to his work.  The set list includes a standard, some hand-jive groove, a high-powered up-tempo blues with Freeman articulating some wonderful bebop phrasing, and a breathtakingly beautiful rendition of “The Good Life.”   Like our stuff?  Let’s hear from you. Record Company Contact Barney Fields • HighNote Records, Inc. jazzdepo@ix.netcom.com • (212) 873-2020 • www.jazzdepot.com 7352 Georg... HighNote C...

Edited July 30, 2023 by GA Russell