George Freeman (guitarist)
[2] His father, George Sr., was a Chicago police officer who regularly befriended musicians at the South Side clubs on his beat, most notably the Grand Terrace Ballroom.As a result, Louis Armstrong, Earl Hines, Fats Waller, and other foundational jazz musicians frequently visited the Freeman home.[4] He further refined his skills while attending DuSable High School, whose students included Von, Gene Ammons, Johnny Griffin, Red Holloway, Clifford Jordan, John Gilmore, Wilbur Ware, Dinah Washington, Sonny Cohn, Richard Davis, and other musicians.[16] At another point, as a set was scheduled to begin while Freeman was still backstage, Parker rejected the pleas of the audience to start: "No, I'm not going to play anything until George gets back.[22] In 1969, tenor saxophonist Gene Ammons, having been released from incarceration on drug charges,[23] returned to Chicago and performed with old colleagues and high school classmates, including Freeman.Ammons expressed a dislike for avant garde jazz music, and in response, Feather countered that Freeman's solos often fell into that category.A 1971 Down Beat issue, entitled MASTERS OF JAZZ GUITAR, showcased Freeman's work along with that of Kenny Burrell and Jim Hall.[43] Freeman has been a regular at the annual Chicago Jazz Festival, headlining with his brother Von, his nephew Chico (in 2015),[44] Mike Allemana (in 2017),[45] and Billy Branch (in 2019).Freeman's calendar of engagements was scrapped in March 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of public events and the closing of jazz clubs.[11][54] Freeman again entered the recording studio on May 7, 2022, leading a trio session with bassist Christian McBride and drummer Carl Allen.[55][56] And on June 13, 2022, Freeman led another trio session, this time supported by organist Joey DeFrancesco and drummer Lewis Nash.Highlights included his annual birthday residency at the Green Mill in April[59] and an appearance with his nephew Chico at the Chicago Jazz Festival in August.