Freeman Lee: What happened?

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

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]

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

ron

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

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

Post by Ron Hearn
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]

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

Post by Ron Hearn
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.....

****************
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 ***@bbz.net Phoenix, Arizona, USA)

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

Post by Loudon Briggs
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]

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

Post by Loudon Briggs
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.

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,

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

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

[s***@gmail.com]

There is a book about Freeman Lee called A Jazzman's Tale and a site devoted to him - ajazzmanstale.com

Post by Ron Hearn
All I have is that he was born Aug. 13, 1927, also played piano, vocals.
ron

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

[a***@gmail.com]

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

A book - A Jazzman's Tale - has been written about Freeman Lee and a website devoted to him - ajazzmanstale.com