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Freeman Lee: What happened?

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p.e.r.i.o.d.i.c.

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Jul 27, 2008, 2:27:44 PM7/27/08
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I've been doing some research on trumpeter
Freeman Lee, I think known mainly for his
work with Elmo Hope in the mid-50s. He seems
to have disappeared from the pages of history.

Any help much appreciated...

....

Ron Hearn

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Jul 28, 2008, 10:28:00 AM7/28/08
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All I have is that he was born Aug. 13, 1927, also played piano, vocals.

ron


"p.e.r.i.o.d.i.c." <mee...@two.com> wrote in message
news:meet.me-5F66DE...@news.giganews.com...

p.e.r.i.o.d.i.c.

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Jul 28, 2008, 2:35:32 PM7/28/08
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In article <QHkjk.141876$gc5.112849@pd7urf2no>,
"Ron Hearn" <rwh...@shaw.ca> wrote:

> All I have is that he was born Aug. 13, 1927, also played piano, vocals.
>
> ron

Yeah, that's about all I can come up with as well.

There's got to be something about this guy somewhere!

thanks.....

Loudon Briggs

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Jul 28, 2008, 5:56:20 PM7/28/08
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"p.e.r.i.o.d.i.c." <mee...@two.com> wrote:

****************
1927 Charles Freeman Lee, trumpet/piano/vocal, b. New York, NY,
USA. Studied at Wilberforce Academy (OH), and played with Wilberforce
Collegians. Has a B.S. in Biology from Central State College. 1950
piano with Snooky Young. 1951 trumpet with Candy Johnson. In 1952
trumpet with Sonny Stitt and Eddie "lockjaw" Vinson. In 1953 with Joe
Holiday. '54-5 freelanced in NYC. 1956 with James Moody. Visited Ohio
for a year returning to NYC and gigging around (incl. Birdland) on
both Piano and trumpet
****************
Elmo Hope: Quintet. Blue Note Records (Connoisseur Series)


Elmo Hope (piano)

Percy Heath (acoustic bass)

Philly Joe Jones (drums).

Frank Foster, Harold Land (tenor saxophone)

Stu Williamson, Freeman Lee (trumpet)

Leroy Vinnegar, Percy Heath (double bass)

Frank Butler, Philly Joe Jones, Art Blakey (drums)

plus... more on Hope!

His next session as a leader took place a year later, this time
including Art Blakey on drums and a two horn front line of the now
obscure trumpeter Freeman Lee and Frank Foster on tenor sax.
-----------------------------

I guess you'd agree! :)

********************

Babs Gonzales - Voila
Hope Records(USA) #LP-0001(LP)
New York City, U. S. A.
July 16, 1958

Babs Gonzales(vocals), Melba Liston(arrangements), Johnny
Griffin(tenor sax), Charles Rouse(bass clarinet), Les Spann(flute),
Ray Crawford(guitar), Horace Parlan(piano), Peck Morrison(bass), Roy
Haynes(drums), Voices of The Modern Sounds - Joe Bailey(vocals),
Curtis Lewis(vocals), Freeman Lee(vocals), Mamie Watts(vocals
********************

I'm tired of looking... I agree, he was/is obscure.


--
Loudon Briggs lar...@bbz.net Phoenix, Arizona, USA)

p.e.r.i.o.d.i.c.

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Jul 29, 2008, 1:03:54 PM7/29/08
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In article <d0fs84h7vsiinn7ev...@4ax.com>,
Loudon Briggs <lar...@bbz.net> wrote:

> 1927 Charles Freeman Lee, trumpet/piano/vocal, b. New York, NY,
> USA. Studied at Wilberforce Academy (OH), and played with Wilberforce
> Collegians. Has a B.S. in Biology from Central State College. 1950
> piano with Snooky Young. 1951 trumpet with Candy Johnson. In 1952
> trumpet with Sonny Stitt and Eddie "lockjaw" Vinson. In 1953 with Joe
> Holiday. '54-5 freelanced in NYC. 1956 with James Moody. Visited Ohio
> for a year returning to NYC and gigging around (incl. Birdland) on
> both Piano and trumpet
> ****************


Thanks, Loudon...may I ask your source for
this info.

He was rumored to have died very early in Buffalo,
but I can't find anything related to cause of death.

.....

Loudon Briggs

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Jul 29, 2008, 4:25:48 PM7/29/08
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"p.e.r.i.o.d.i.c." <mee...@two.com> wrote:

I first saw the full name somewhere and then just Googled his name and
I think it was the 2nd or 3rd item down. The makeup of the page looks
a bit like something from The Big Band Database. Take care,
>
>.....

susana...@gmail.com

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May 10, 2018, 2:00:49 PM5/10/18
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There is a book about Freeman Lee called A Jazzman's Tale and a site devoted to him - ajazzmanstale.com

ajazzm...@gmail.com

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Apr 18, 2019, 1:29:15 PM4/18/19
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A book - A Jazzman's Tale - has been written about Freeman Lee and a website devoted to him - ajazzmanstale.com
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