Von Freeman RIP

[johnlitweiler]

Michael Jackson's thoughtful obit includes some i-didn't-know-thats: http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/music/14466939-421/chicago-jazz-icon-von-freeman-dead-at-88-walked-tuff-to-the-end.html

In 1973 IIRC Terry Martin and I began going to the Enterprise Lounge on Monday evening; before long Chuck Nessa started coming too and on one occasion Chuck's father, who seemed to enjoy the music. The rhythm section would set up in the front window (L to R Charles Walton, David Shipp, John Young) and, a little after 8:30, Von would stand in front of them and begin playing, with the big sound. He favored a medium-fast tempo that he called the Chicago Tempo (as in Time After Time, Have No Fear, etc.). His solos would begin simply, a minimum of decoration (he was a very straightforward player); sometimes as his melodies acquired momentum they'd go progressively farther and farther outside the changes; sometimes he'd stay at length within the changes until he'd start a chorus with a leap that would take the whole piece out; less often he'd play a whole solo out, with coarse sounds, hollers - he might do this with minor one-chord pieces. What grabbed you was his passion. You couldn't be cool to his music. Rough sound, flat, sharp, totally out, didn't matter - the long, long melody line with all its twists was what carried you with him. His creativity was endless. Dear Lord, what trips.

He'd continue non-stop for two hours and more, pausing for his accompanists to solo for two choruses each. As he played, the small club would begin filling up, mostly with musicians. Eventually he'd play his blues theme After Dark and get out of the way of the sitters-in, and not return until very late.

I knew Von as a kind, generous man, a very smart man who'd given a lot of thought to jazz and its history. He was recurringly shy at first - used to wear shades at night when he played. After his reputation spread and he began to play white clubs up north, for awhile he wore shades again (mid-70s). Sometimes he'd have to nerve himself (drink some courage) to play for foreign audiences, like a DownBeat all-star tv show for PBS and the night his quartet and Cecil Taylor were a double-feature at a U. of Chicago concert. By the 1980s the rest of the world began to know that Von was really a great artist.

[Larry Kart]

About Von sometimes needing to nerve himself, Chuck can weigh in here to correct me (if he wishes), but IIRC Von understandably was rather uptight at the "Have No Fear" recording session (understandably so because he sensed/knew that these were going to be ideal circumstances for him to make his mark on record) and resorted to some vodka (and orange juice?) to settle himself, though clearly not enough to impair him.

Renewed thanks BTW to Chuck for letting me be there. History was made.

[Chuck Nessa]

Your memory is correct. Von was really nervous and nothing I said calmed him down. I think you can feel the tension in Mr. Lucky, the first tune recorded, but maybe that's just me. He had two bottles, a small vodka and a larger orange juice. A tune or two from the end of the session show the effects.

In a Cadence interview he mentioned how "up tight" he was.

[Chuck Nessa]

I was in Chicago today and saw a physical edition of the Tribune with Von's obit at the Delmark headquarters. The obit was the front page of the Arts & Entertainment with a huge photo dominating the page AND the front page of the paper had Von’s photo and the headline above the masthead of the Tribune!

It was really cool.

Should anyone discover a copy, I'd love to have it.

[Mark Stryker]

Condolences especially to those here who were personally close to Von.

I first heard him live I think in the second half of 1985 at Nature's Table, a beloved restaurant/jazz club in Urbana. The old bebopper-alto player Guido Sinclair, who had been a friend of Von's on the southside, had been living in Champaign-Urbana for years at that point and it was through him that the late co-owner of the Table, Terry Masar, got Von to come down. I remember how geeked we all were because we had known about Von but only a couple of folks (not me) had ever heard him live. I had known about him from a Down Beat article I read earlier from late 1976 that John Litweiler had written. I had been given a subscription on my 14th birthday and that issue, with Woody Herman on the cover, was the 4th one I received and in those days I devoured every word of the magazine so I remembered the story. Incididentally, John's piece mentions an upcoming appearance on PBS's Soundstage -- does anyone remember that show or know if a tape is around anywhere? I also recall an interview with Von and Chico that I think Neil Tesser did for Down Beat though not sure if that's something that was written before or after this particular gig.

I had just started doing a little freelance writing at that point and I wrote up a piece about Von's life, though I didn't interview him; I drew quotes from secondary sources including John's story (with credit I should add). I called up the features editor at the local Champaign News-Gazette and tried to pitch it. I mailed it to the paper and then followed up by going to meet the editor face to face. I had no idea what I was doing or how a newspaper worked or anything at that time. The editor turned me down, but I do remember he said the piece was "good" but far too long. I doubt it actually was any good but I have no doubt it was too long.

The club had lined up essentially a local trio to play with him, including by close friend Mike Kocour, a fine pianist who had only recently graduated from U of I and was just started to make his way on the Chicago scene (and who left Northwestern some years ago to run the jazz program at Arizona State.) The first tune to the best of my recollection was "Like Someone in Love" or possibly "If I Should Lose You," which Von started with a cadenza up front and then worked his way through the melody out-of-time with just the piano. After the first or second phrase with the piano,which Mike framed in a particularly nice way, Von said sidways out of the right side of his mouth, "That's beautiful, baby." A wonderful moment. Broke up the whole room and just relaxed the entire band, which was nervous to be playing with him in the first place. But after two tunes, he started letting people sit in, beginning with Guido, and very quickly the whole night devolved into a jam session. That was disappointing because we had all come to hear him play and not the guys we all knew. Von was a little juiced too, and I recall him standing back near the register raising his glass at one point in a toast when someone tried to nudge him back to the bandstand. In the end he didn't play that much that night and I have no real memories of the music, except for that opening standard.

However, a little while later he came back, this time with John Young, bassist John Webber, who was maybe 19 or 20 but looked 16, and a young drummer from Champaign named Larry Beers who could really play. I had a jobbing gig that night with this big band I played in, so I didn't get there until later on, and when I walked in the vibe in the club was amazing. You could tell something heavy was happening, because the place was jammed and you could hear a pin drop. They started the second set with a medium tempo blues and I will never forget the opening phrases of Von's solo: these relaxed riffs that just floated on air as Webber layed down a lethal swinging 4/4. I had never heard anybody swing that way on tenor; only in retrospect did I come to realize that Von at that moment was offering up a personalized homage to Lester Young. He just played masterfully that night, with that quirky but expressive sound and those curlicue lines that hit the ear with such freshness. You know, there's an incredible intensity when someone is playing with such originality, and that's the first night I really can remember in which that lesson was front and center for me. Von stayed on the stand the whole time and I don't recall any sitting in at all, though I suspect there had to be some later in the night. I often wondered if he came back to C-U partly because he knew he let the first night get away from him and that folks felt they didn't get their money's worth. I also remember the deep rapport with John Young, how great John's P.C.-like walking sounded and how proud I was that my friend Larry sounded every bit like he deserved to be on the stand. Later I heard Von in Chicago on a number of occasions, but the memory of that night at Nature's Table, especially that blues, remains indelible.

Edited August 18, 2012 by Mark Stryker

[Mike Schwartz]

Chuck,

I opened my weekly broadcast with Vonski set of four songs....the first 3 off of the Premonition CD's which I had Mr. Freeman on the show for when they were released, culminating with the Blues off of this one.

Thanks!

Edited August 19, 2012 by Mike Schwartz

[Chuck Nessa]

Sounds interesting. Thanks.

[johnlitweiler]

Tonight on Zoundz! a celebration of Von Freeman - the show begins with LYoung and CParker at 6:30 pm Chicago time and will be almost all Von after 7:30 pm. WHPK Chicago 88.5 FM and www.whpk.org

[paul secor]

I was away for two weeks and avoided the internet and newspapers during that time, so I didn't read about Von Freeman's passing until this past weekend. Given his age, I wasn't surprised but I was saddened. There aren't many originals left in the jazz world, and he was truly an original.

Thank you, Mr. Freeman.

On a lighter note, does anyone know who the babe is in the photo on the right of this Amazon link? http://www.amazon.com/Von-Freeman/e/B000AQ39SO/ref=ac_dpt_sa_photos

[jeffcrom]

I was away for two weeks and avoided the internet and newspapers during that time, so I didn't read about Von Freeman's passing until this past weekend. Given his age, I wasn't surprised but I was saddened. There aren't many originals left in the jazz world, and he was truly an original.

Thank you, Mr. Freeman.

On a lighter note, does anyone know who the babe is in the photo on the right of this Amazon link? http://www.amazon.com/Von-Freeman/e/B000AQ39SO/ref=ac_dpt_sa_photos

Welcome back! I think I saw the young lady sing a couple of songs with Mr. Freeman at Andy's in Chicago a few years ago, but I don't remember her name. (Real helpful, I know.)

[Chuck Nessa]

Best I can say is she's one of Von's horses. That's what he called the mass of folks waiting to sit in at his gigs.

The first real horse I witnessed was Steve Coleman and he's done alright for himself and for Von.

[Mark Stryker]

Stumbled upon this today: A "Soundstage" program from Chicago in 1975 focused on jazz singing with Jon Hendricks, Annie Ross, Eddie Jefferson and Leon Thomas. Looks the show was conceived by Ben Sidran. The very first sound you hear during the opening credits is Von's unmistakable tenor. He gets some feature time later in the show. Skip to the 38:30 minute mark for his most prominent appearance, playing an intro chorus and then a solo on "Centerpiece." Later in the show he solos on Thomas' feature "Straight No Chaser." So great to see footage of Von from this era.

Edited February 2, 2014 by Mark Stryker

[Chuck Nessa]

I was at the taping of that show. Ben Sidran was involved.

Our apartment was 2 blocks from the studio and I attended a number if events there.

Edited February 2, 2014 by Chuck Nessa

[bichos]

Stumbled upon this today: A "Soundstage" program from Chicago in 1975 focused on jazz singing with Jon Hendricks, Annie Ross, Eddie Jefferson and Leon Thomas. Looks the show was conceived by Ben Sidran. The very first sound you hear during the opening credits is Von's unmistakable tenor. He gets some feature time later in the show. Skip to the 38:30 minute mark for his most prominent appearance, playing an intro chorus and then a solo on "Centerpiece." Later in the show he solos on Thomas' feature "Straight No Chaser." So great to see footage of Von from this era.

wow! Eddie jefferson! very rare to see him on film!

thanks for the link.

Keep boppin´

marcel

[mikeweil]

Great stuff! Thanks for linking this!

[Mark Stryker]

For some reason I keep stumbling upon film of Von that I've never seen: Chicago Reunion Band, 1994, with Brad Goode, Jodie Christian, Rufus Reid, Jack DeJohnette. Label says Harrisburg, PA (of all places?) There are five or six different clips: Here's Von's ballad features, "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square."

[Chuck Nessa]

Thanks again.

[Michael Weiss]

I was fortunate to play a week with Von at the Vanguard in January, 1994. What an education!

I remember playing "I'm a Fool to Want You."

It was so cold in the club that week, IIRC we could see our breath on the stage.

Following Griffin's set at the 1988 Chicago Jazz Fest we got to play a couple of tunes with Griff, Eddie Harris, Clifford Jordan, Von and E. Parker McDougal. Sun Ra wouldn't allow John Gilmore to join us.

One of the true originals of this music. When you're that original you're kind of invincible - nobody can fuck with you. RIP

Just remembered something funny about that Vanguard week. One night Von started to play a tune I didn't know, I can't remember now what it was. Before he got too far into it I tried to wave him off. He just smiled and said, "In that case, feel free to express yourself!"

[Chuck Nessa]

Thanks Michael. I really laughed out loud.

Damn I miss that man.

[clifford_thornton]

By 'wave off' what do you mean? 

He must've been a real mensch. Wish I'd had the chance to meet him.

[.:.impossible]