Chico Freeman to honor his famous father at Chicago Jazz Festival

On Thursday, the Chicago Jazz Festival will continue its tradition of celebrating the late saxophonist Von Freeman and his illustrious musical family. Marking the beloved saxophonist’s centennial — he would have turned 100 on Oct. 3 — his tenor-playing son Chico Freeman will lead a band of friends and family including Von’s brother and his uncle, guitarist George Freeman, still going strong at 96.

For the man called Vonski, an unjustly obscure artist for much of his career, even in his hometown, the tributes are richly deserved. But it’s also great seeing the 74-year-old Chico back in the spotlight in the place he grew up following last year’s premiere in Hyde Park of his ambitious Legacy Project. A sweeping work for 19-piece orchestra, the work honored his entire family, including his other uncle, the late drummer Bruz Freeman. 

Chico, who will perform his own compositions with his new quintet at the Hyde Park Jazz Festival on Sept. 24, has had a remarkable career of his own. He has played with such greats as McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Sun Ra and Tito Puente and in terrific groups of his own — plus a pair of supergroups, the Leaders and Roots. He has been a prolific composer, produced other artists and performed with symphonies and African, Indian, Balkan and aboriginal musicians.

But partly because he has lived in Europe for nearly 20 years, first in Greece and for the past dozen years in Switzerland, and partly because he has recorded mostly for independent and foreign labels (“Fathers and Sons,” the 1982 Columbia release featuring the Marsalis and Freeman families, is a notable exception), he doesn’t have as high a profile as he deserves. But that was never an issue for Von, and it’s not for Chico, either. 

The offspring of great artists frequently feel the need to go down different stylistic paths than their parents to make their own mark. Saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, for example, has forged a completely different sound than that of his revered father John Coltrane, a powerful influence on generations of players including Chico. That Chico found his own powerful voice early on and has worked on developing and deepening it ever since — while absorbing the unique sound of Von, who stood out when many of his peers were imitating Charlie Parker — is a noteworthy achievement all its own. 

“My dad, who was my hero, gave me some advice from the start,” said Chico, speaking via Zoom from Switzerland. “He told me I had to be original and sound like myself. We all have the same 12 notes. What’ll make you different from me, and everyone else different from you, is your sound. It’s like your voice.

“I asked myself, how do you do that? I’m influenced by him and by Coltrane and so on and so on. And then it came to me. It’s easy if you believe in who you are and allow yourself to be yourself.” 

As a kid, he was surrounded by music. When Von rehearsed in their house off 69th Street, he said, “My mom would open all the windows and all the kids on my block would gather on our porch to hear the music.”

Later on, while Chico was attending Northwestern University, he would frequent his father’s jam sessions (and sometimes tend bar for him) at South Side clubs including Betty Lou’s, the Enterprise, Toni’s Pad and the old Apartment Lounge.

At the festival, Chico will perform songs he played with his father when they toured Europe together during the late 1970s and 1980s (a serious homebody, Von had to be cajoled into traveling abroad), tunes from the jam sessions and songs evoking other memories. His band of Vonski-ites will include Mike Allemana, Von’s longtime guitarist and music director, whose “Vonology” suite was one of the highlights of last year’s fest; McCoy Tyner bassist Avery Sharpe (who appeared with Chico and a dozen other up-and-comers on the 1983 “Young Lions” album); drummer Yoron Israel, vocalist Margaret Murphy-Webb and, representing the younger generation, vibraphonist Thaddeus Tukes.

As much as he loves delving into the past, Chico is most excited about the future.

“I’m a work in motion and constantly developing,” he said. “I just feel like I want to stay open and creative and keep evolving. The truth is in the moment. Whenever I’m playing I try to focus on what I feel and how I feel right at that moment. And from that point on, that’s the truth of who I am.”