Phil Freeman

2 days ago | stereogum.com | Phil Freeman

David Murray turned 70 in February. That feels wrong somehow, not because I’m unaware that time only moves in one direction but because Murray doesn’t fit the mold of an elder statesman. Since his arrival in New York in the mid-’70s, he’s been on a unique creative path, releasing a torrent of material — his Discogs page lists close to 300 credits — in contexts ranging from solo recitals to big bands to collaborations with musicians from all corners of the globe.

1 month ago | stereogum.com | Phil Freeman

I first heard Nels Cline in 1999, when he and drummer Gregg Bendian released Interstellar Space Revisited. The original Interstellar Space album was a set of four saxophone-drums duos played by John Coltrane and Rashied Ali, recorded in February 1967 but not released until September 1974.

2 months ago | stereogum.com | Phil Freeman

Pianist Sullivan Fortner is originally from New Orleans, but is one of the most respected and creative players in New York at the moment. He’s recorded with trumpeter Theo Croker, vocalist Jazzmeia Horn, guitarists Peter Bernstein and Lage Lund, drummer/producer Kassa Overall, and others, most notably singer Cécile McLorin Salvant.

Nov 18, 2024 | stereogum.com | Phil Freeman

Being the saxophonist in a Miles Davis band was never the easiest job in the world. Even if he liked you, he often led by challenging his musicians, giving them enigmatic or even contradictory instructions. Once, when saxophonist Gary Bartz complained that he didn’t like what Keith Jarrett was playing behind him, and asked Davis to rein the keyboardist in, the trumpeter instead told Jarrett that Bartz loved was he was playing and wanted to hear more of it.

Oct 22, 2024 | stereogum.com | Phil Freeman

In 2018, I met up with Tyshawn Sorey at the Guggenheim Museum in New York for an interview that involved me playing a series of records for him and soliciting his thoughts. We listened to everything from Anthony Braxton, Roscoe Mitchell, and Eric Dolphy to Metallica, Redman, and Autechre.