A great little live set from
Von Freeman – and one of his best albums! Like some of his rare few sides from the 70s, this one features
Von in a relaxed setting – blowing as the main lead soloist in front of a piano trio recorded at the Dakota Bar & Grill in St Paul, Minnesota, in 1996. Unlike other sets, though, this one really shows the edge that
Von can have when he's working at his best. Gone are the easily-blown standards that never really illustrate the genius of
Von that's been an influence on decades of players – from Andrew Hill to Malachi Favors to Eric Alexander.
Freeman's range on the tenor is incredible – taking in a wealth of influences that runs from Coleman Hawkins to Ben Webster to Coltrane and Wayne Shorter – and while the rhythm section is comprised of younger players from St Paul,
Von's the real talent here, and has plenty of room to work. Titles include "Footprints", "Caravan", "Crazy She Calls me", "Blues For Sunnyland", and "Bye Bye Blackbird".
(Promo sticker over barcode and stamp on disc.)