Chico Freeman

Hailing from Chicago, Chico Freeman pursues work as a composer, bandleader, educator, and multi-reedist. As the son of the late saxophonist Von Freeman, he has released dozens of albums under his own name while contributing to hundreds more as a sideman. During his time in Elvin Jones’ ensemble he brought out his first recording, Morning Prayer, on Japan’s WhyNot imprint, then moved to India Navigation for the 1977 release Chico, the initial entry in a small but enduring series of now-classic discs for that company. Freeman’s tenor sound blends grit and exuberance with intimacy and resonance, shifting without warning from anguished cries to tender affirmations. His approach draws on the Chicago blues he performed in clubs during his teenage years, the bop and hard bop he absorbed from his father, and the bandleaders he later served—among them Charles Mingus and Dizzy Gillespie—as well as John Coltrane’s modal explorations and the AACM’s free excursions. Additional lessons in Afro-Latin rhythmic interplay came from Latin bandleaders such as Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto, Chucho Valdes, and Celia Cruz. After taking a prominent part in the celebrated Central Park Young Lions concert and film, Freeman issued the landmark Tradition in Transition in 1982. He subsequently explored R&B alongside Michael Jackson and Earth, Wind & Fire, and formed the Leaders, a jazz collective of distinguished composers and soloists. In 1990 he helped establish Roots with Nathan Davis, Sam Rivers, and Arthur Blythe, while also performing with the smooth-jazz and world-fusion group Brainstorm. The influential post-bop world-jazz album The Emissary appeared in 1996. Across the twenty-first century he continued to earn praise with releases such as 2002’s Out of Many Comes the One, 2012’s Elvin, and 2015’s Spoken Into Existence.

Born Earl Lavon Freeman, Jr., he received the nickname “Chico” from his father. Piano studies began at age five, followed by trumpet at ten after he witnessed his father sit in with the Miles Davis Quintet in Chicago. Although jazz surrounded him from childhood, many early professional engagements found him backing blues artists such as Memphis Slim and Lucky Carmichael in Chicago clubs. At Northwestern University he switched to tenor saxophone while majoring in mathematics and studying advanced composition and theory. Later he earned a master’s degree in composition and theory at Governor State University under Muhal Richard Abrams and taught at the AACM music school. Additional mentors included Fred Anderson, Adegoke Steve Colson, and his uncle, jazz-funk guitarist George Freeman. As a graduate student he served as principal soloist in the university big band and toured Brazil with the ensemble during the 1970s, winning awards at the Notre Dame Jazz Festival in 1973.

After completing his master’s degree, Freeman relocated to New York and secured engagements with Elvin Jones, Sun Ra, Sam Rivers, Jack DeJohnette, and Don Pullen. He began leading his own groups in the mid- to late 1970s. Morning Prayer appeared on WhyNot in 1976, and the following year he entered a multi-album, non-exclusive agreement with India Navigation. Chico arrived in 1977, featuring pianist Muhal Richard Abrams, drummer Steve McCall, and bassist Cecil McBee. He also recorded for Les Koenig’s Contemporary label, releasing Beyond the Rain in 1978. Between 1977 and 1982 the two labels issued six albums of striking consistency and innovation: India Navigation brought out Kings of Mali, Spirit Sensitive, and The Outside Within, while Contemporary presented Peaceful Heart, Gentle Spirit, and Destiny’s Dance. Freeman further issued his Black Saint leader debut, No Time Left, and the collaborative Freeman & Freeman with his father.

The year 1982 marked a turning point. He appeared on the then-controversial Columbia album Fathers & Sons, sharing one side with Von while Ellis and Wynton Marsalis occupied the other. His central role in the Central Park Young Lions filming that year highlighted rising figures including Bobby McFerrin, Marsalis, Paquito D’Rivera, Kevin Eubanks, and Anthony Davis at the outset of the “new traditionalists” era. Reflecting both jazz history and fresh influences, he recorded the acclaimed Tradition in Transition for Elektra Musician and The Search, his final India Navigation date. The Elektra association continued with Tangents, featuring McFerrin, in 1984. When promoters assembled superstar bands in Europe, Freeman instead created the Leaders, an all-star sextet of internationally recognized bandleaders whose original lineup comprised Cecil McBee, Kirk Lightsey, Lester Bowie, Arthur Blythe, and Famoudou Don Moye. The group set a standard for eclectic, composer-driven music and issued Mudfoot on Blackhawk in 1986, the same year Freeman released the quartet album The Pied Piper with Jones, McBee, and pianist Kenny Kirkland. Tales of Ellington followed a year later, recorded across multiple sessions with Jones, McBee, Herbie Lewis, Larry Willis, George Cables, and John Purcell. In 1988 the Leaders released Out Here Like This… on Black Saint and Unforeseen Blessings the next year, while Freeman recorded Lord Riff and Me for WhyNot, an album that remained unreleased until 2010.

In 1989 Freeman entered a new phase, releasing You’ll Know When You Get There with Von on Black Saint and assembling the electric band Brainstorm with vocalist-keyboardist Delmar Brown, percussionist Norman Hedman, drummer Archie Walker, and bassist Chris Walker. Their debut, The Mystical Dreamer, was recorded in Paris for In+Out and received positive European notices for its blend of Afro-Latin rhythms, funk and hip-hop energy, post-bop tradition, and technological polish, though American critics were less receptive. Undeterred, Brainstorm issued the live album Sweet Explosion in 1990 with a revised rhythm section featuring drummer Tommy Campbell and bassist Alex Blake. That year Freeman also contributed to Kip Hanrahan’s Tenderness. In 1991 he served as sideman for British pop singer Mari Wilson on The Rhythm Romance and vibraphonist Jay Hoggard on Days Like These, and co-led and produced Luminous with Blythe.

In 1992 he formed the leader-based collective Roots with Blythe, Sam Rivers, Nathan Davis, Pullen, Santi Debriano, and Campbell. Their first recording, Roots Salutes the Saxophone, honored the centenary of Adolphe Sax’s instrument. Freeman also released the trio album Up and Down on Black Saint with bassist Tiziana Ghiglioni and pianist Mal Waldron. Brazilian percussionist and former Weather Report drummer Dom Um Romão invited him onto Saudades for Water Lily Acoustics. The following year Freeman led Groovin’ Late with Kenny Barron, Freddie Waits, and Debriano, issued the third Brainstorm album Threshold, and joined Roots for Stablemates, which featured drummer Idris Muhammad.

The Leaders resumed recording in 1994 with Slipping and Sliding for Italy’s Soundhill Records and continued worldwide touring. The Chico Freeman Quintet with Arthur Blythe issued two well-received albums over the next two years—The Unspoken Word for Ronnie Scott’s Jazz House and Focus for Contemporary—while Roots released Saying Something on In+Out. Freeman brought out The Emissary in 1996, an electro-acoustic project merging post-bop with African and Latin elements that European critics praised for its seamless integration of sounds and rhythms. For the rest of the decade he worked primarily as a sideman, appearing on dates by Carmen Lundy and Blythe, in Sam Rivers’ Rivbea All-Star Orchestra, and with DeJohnette on Festival, and he produced Von Freeman’s 75th Birthday Celebration: Live at The Blue Note.

At the start of the new century Freeman resided in the European Union while frequently visiting the United States to tour. His first leader date of the twenty-first century was Oh, By the Way by Chico Freeman y Guataca, a Latin jazz ensemble formed with longtime friend Hilton Ruiz on piano. In 2003 he returned the favor by appearing on Ruiz’s acclaimed Enchantment alongside tenorist Joe Henderson. A reconstituted Leaders lineup released the widely praised Spirits Alike for Double Moon Records in 2006, with trumpeter Eddie Henderson replacing the late Bowie, drummer Billy Hart, alto saxophonist Bobby Watson, and pianist Fred Harris; only McBee and Freeman remained from the original group. That same year Out of Many Comes the One appeared, featuring a post-bop-cum-world-jazz quintet anchored by Russian pianist Misha Tsiganov.

Freeman spent the ensuing years traveling and teaching across Europe. In 2010 Candid finally issued Lord Riff and Me, recorded for WhyNot in 1989 and featuring Von and Chico in the front line with Hart, McBee, and Cables. The same year David Murray & Chico Freeman with Ozay emerged on ITM, documenting sessions with Turkish vocalist Ozay backed by the two saxophonists, drummer Pheeroan akLaff, Lightsey and D.D. Jackson on piano, bassist Calvin Jones, and violinist Billy Bang. Elvin: The Elvin Jones Project followed in 2012, uniting Freeman with pianist Cables, bassist Lonnie Plaxico, drummer Winard Harper, and guest tenorist Joe Lovano on two tracks.

In 2015 Freeman collaborated with Austria’s Jive Music label on the widely acclaimed Spoken Into Existence by the Chico Freeman 4-Tet. Produced by the saxophonist, the recording introduced bassist Heiri Känzig, with whom Freeman soon formed a creative partnership that yielded the duo album The Arrival on Switzerland’s Intakt Records. Freeman and uncle George Freeman also recorded All in the Family for Chicago’s Southport Records with drummer Hamid Drake, bassist Harrison Bankhead, and guitarist Mike Allemana.

In early 2016 Freeman guested on Greek fusion guitarist Lefteris Christofis’ ManTis as part of an international quartet. That year Dawid Kostka Quartet & Chico Freeman, Live at Aquanet Jazz Festival, Poznań appeared on Poland’s Era Jazzu label. In 2018 he participated in the large studio band Kip Hanrahan assembled for Crescent Moon Waning on American Clave.

In March 2020 Freeman caught the final flight out of Moscow before borders closed due to COVID-19, yet found himself unable to reach the United States. Confined in Europe under self-quarantine, he observed the pandemic’s global impact and sought a way to contribute. He chose Bill Withers’ song “You Just Can’t Smile It Away,” enlisting Texas gospel singer Yatron, Swiss keyboardist Jeremy Mage, and London synthesist Jan Pulsford. After recording the track, Merlyn Bruce mixed it at London’s Mothership Studios for Efficacy Recordings, with all proceeds designated for Chicago HOPES for Kids.