Chico Freeman

Chico Freeman (born Earl Lavon Freeman Jr.; July 17, 1949) is a modern jazz tenor saxophonist and trumpeter and son of jazz saxophonist Von Freeman. He began recording as lead musician in 1976 with Morning Prayer, won the New York Jazz Award in 1979 and earned the Stereo Review Record of the Year in 1981 for his album The Outside Within.

Early years
Freeman was introduced to the trumpet by his brother Everett, who found a trumpet in the family basement. Freeman began playing, inspired by artists such as Miles Davis. He went to Northwestern University in 1967 with a scholarship for mathematics and played the trumpet in the school, but did not begin playing the saxophone until his junior year. After practicing eight to ten hours per day and trying out for the saxophone section, Freeman quickly changed his major to music, and graduated in 1972. By that time he was proficient in saxophone, trumpet, and piano.

After graduation, Freeman taught at the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians School of Music in Chicago and started taking classes as a graduate student at Governors State University, earning a master's degree in composition and theory. Although most of Freeman's musical upbringing had been in jazz, at this time he began getting involved in blues music as well. He began playing at local Chicago clubs with artists such as Memphis Slim and Lucky Carmichael.

Career
1976 saw the release of Freeman's first album as lead musician, Morning Prayer. The next year he moved to New York City, and widened his musical influences. The following years would be the most productive of his career, producing albums such as No Time Left, Tradition in Transition, and The Outside Within; the last of which earned him Record of the Year from Stereo Review.

He came to prominence in the late 1970s as part of a movement including Wynton Marsalis of modern players steeped in the traditions of jazz, recording for independent labels like India Navigation and Contemporary Records. Freeman's albums contain standards and compositions by modernists like John Coltrane as well as new tunes by Freeman and his contemporaries such as bassist Cecil McBee. The line-up on his 1981 album Destiny's Dance includes Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Hutcherson, Cecil McBee (these two contributing compositions), with Freeman playing tenor saxophone and bass clarinet. Freeman formed the band Guataca and released Oh By the Way... in 2002. Freeman has toured internationally, both with his band as well as with Chaka Khan, Tomasz Stanko, Celia Cruz and Tito Puente. Members of Guataca include Hilton Ruiz, Ruben Rodriguez, Yoron Israel, and Giovanni Hidalgo.

In 1989, he put together an electric band called Brainstorm consisting of himself, Delmar Brown (vocals and keyboards), Norman Hedman (percussion), Chris Walker (bassist), Archie Walker (drums).

In 1998, Freeman produced an album for Arthur Blythe called NightSong, and in 1999 he began teaching at New School University.

As leader

 * Morning Prayer (India Navigation/Whynot, 1976)
 * Chico (India Navigation, 1977)
 * Beyond the Rain (Contemporary, 1978)
 * Kings of Mali (India Navigation, 1978)
 * The Outside Within (India Navigation, 1978)
 * Spirit Sensitive (India Navigation, 1979)
 * No Time Left (Black Saint, 1979)
 * Peaceful Heart, Gentle Spirit (Contemporary, 1980)
 * Destiny's Dance (Contemporary, 1981)
 * Tradition in Transition (Elektra/Musician, 1982)
 * The Search (India Navigation, 1982)
 * Tangents featuring Bobby McFerrin (Elektra/Musician, 1984)
 * Live at Ronnie Scott’s (Hendring, 1988; recorded 1986)
 * The Pied Piper (Black-Hawk, 1987)
 * Tales of Ellington (Black-Hawk, 1987)
 * Lord Riff and Me (Whynot/Candid, 2010; recorded 1987)
 * Mystical Dreamer with Brainstorm (In & Out, 1989)
 * You’ll Know When You Get There (Black Saint, 1990)
 * Sweet Explosion with Brainstorm (In & Out, 1990)
 * Threshold with Brainstorm (In & Out, 1993)
 * The Unspoken Word with Arthur Blythe live at Ronnie Scott’s (Jazz House, 1994)
 * Focus (Contemporary/Fantasy, 1995)
 * Still Sensitive (India Navigation, 1995)
 * The Emissary (Clarity, 1996)
 * Oh, by the Way with Guataca (Double Moon, 2002)
 * Out of Many Comes the One (Arabesque, 2004)
 * The Essence of Silence with the Fritz Pauer Trio (CD Baby/Jive Music, 2010)
 * Elvin: Tribute to Elvin Jones with Joe Lovano (CD Baby/Jive Music/Edel, 2012)

As co-leader
With Arthur Blythe With Arthur Blythe and Lester Bowie With Von Freeman With The Leaders With David Murray With Roots (Arthur Blythe, Nathan Davis, Sam Rivers, a.o.) With Mal Waldron With The Young Lions (a.k.a. Lincoln Center Stars), feat. Wynton Marsalis, Paquito D’Rivera, Kevin Eubanks, Anthony Davis, a.o.
 * Luminous (Jazz House, 1989)
 * Out Here Like This (Black Saint, 1988)
 * Unforeseen Blessings (Black Saint, 1989)
 * Freeman & Freeman (India Navigation, 1981)
 * Fathers & Sons (Columbia, 1982), only B-side (A-side provided by Marsalis family)
 * Live at the Blue Note with Special Guest Dianne Reeves (Half Note, 1999)
 * Mudfoot (Black-Hawk, 1986)
 * Out Here Like This (Black-Hawk, 1987)
 * Unforeseen Blessings (Black Saint, 1988)
 * Heaven Dance (Sunnyside, 1988)
 * Spirits Alike (Double Moon, 2007)
 * David Murray, Chico Freeman with Özay (ITM, 2011)
 * Salutes the Saxophone - Tributes to John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins and Lester Young (In & Out, 1992)
 * Stablemates (In & Out, 1993)
 * Say Something (In & Out, 1995)
 * For Diz & Bird (In & Out, 2000)
 * Up and Down (Black Saint, 1989)
 * The Young Lions (Elektra/Musician, 1982)

As sideman
With Ahmed Abdullah With Jack DeJohnette With Kip Hanrahan With Jay Hoggard With La Mont Zeno Theatre With Carmen Lundy With Cecil McBee With Don Pullen, Fred Hopkins and Bobby Battle With The Pyramids With Sam Rivers' Rivbea All-Star Orchestra With Dom Um Romão With McCoy Tyner With Edward Vesala With the Reto Weber Percussion Orchestra and Franco Ambrosetti With Mari Wilson
 * Abdullah Live at Ali's Alley (Cadence Jazz, 1980)
 * Tin Can Alley (ECM, 1981)
 * Inflation Blues (ECM, 1983)
 * Coup de tête (American Clavé, 1981)
 * Tenderness (American Clavé, 1990)
 * All Roads Are Made of the Flesh (American Clavé, 1995)
 * Rain Forrest (Contemporary, 1981)
 * Black Fairy (Taifa, 1975)
 * Moment to Moment (Arabesque, 1992)
 * Compassion (Enja, 1977)
 * Music from the Source (Inner City, 1979)
 * Alternate Spaces (India Navigation, 1979)
 * Warriors (Black Saint, 1978)
 * Music of Idris Ackamoor (Compilation on EM (Japan), 2006)
 * Inspiration and Culmination (BMG France, 1999)
 * Saudades (Water Lily Acoustics, 1993)
 * La Leyenda de La Hora (Columbia, 1981)
 * Heavy Life (Leo, 1980)
 * Face to Face (Live at the Jazzfest Berlin '99) (Double Moon, 1999)
 * The Rhythm Romance (Dino, 1991)