I got a last-minute call for a gig last night with George Freeman, who I only as Von Freeman’s younger (I assumed) brother. He called me at 4:30 AM two days before — I didn’t answer the call because I wasn’t very awake, and assumed it was probably a wrong number anyway.
George plays every Thursday at the Tropical Den, pretty close to the lake on the south side. The South Shore Metra line runs right down the street outside the front door, although I didn’t notice it during the show. Driving down there was really nice; I can just take a nice spin down Lakeshore Drive, and it was nice and clear Thursday night.
George is a character, just like his brother, but definitely his own man. He’s younger than Von, and more spritely. He gave me a huge hug right after introducing himself after I parked, and he repeated it later on after we had finished up. It’s a jam session, where singers and instrumentalists are invited to sit in and play. The atmosphere is laid back and the people were friendly (the piano player and I were probably the youngest people there). George plays a mean guitar, and is in total command of the show the whole time, cruising from one tune to the next without really pausing, and keeping things moving during the jam session. It was a challenge, but still fun. He told me afterward that his drummer would be back the following week, but he seemed pretty happy with me, so I hope I’ll get another call somewhere down the line. Maybe at an hour when I can answer it.
I’m really happy to have gotten the chance to play with George and Von. They’re two great musicians from a family that apparently had far too much talent and work ethic to go around. You can check out their music pretty easy online: