Russ Freeman (pianist)

Russell Donald Freeman (May 28, 1926 – June 27, 2002) was a bebop and cool jazz pianist and composer.

Initially, Freeman was classically trained. His reputation as a jazz pianist grew in the 1940s after working with Art Pepper and Shorty Rogers. He played with Charlie Parker on the 1947 "Home Cooking" jazz session. Numerous collaborations followed in the 1950s with Chet Baker, Shelly Manne, and Art Pepper. These collaborations included the ''Jazz Immortal'' LP recorded with Russ Freeman and jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown in 1954, which included leading musicians Brown and Zoot Sims. On the ''Jazz Immortal'' LP, Russ Freeman was able to play in a combo that recorded many Clifford Brown compositions.

In 1957, he collaborated with André Previn on the album '' Double Play!'', where they both played piano, accompanied only by Manne on drums.

In 1988, Keith Jarrett performed a version of Freeman's "The Wind" in a solo concert in Paris, which is featured on his album '' Paris Concert''. In 1991, Mariah Carey wrote her own lyrics to "The Wind" for her album ''Emotions''. Freeman had written "The Wind" with original lyrics by Jerry Gladstone; it had been performed as an instrumental piece during the 1950s and 1960s by the likes of Baker, Leo Wright, and Stan Getz, and had been sung by vocalist June Christy (on '' The Misty Miss Christy''). Freeman's piano is featured on Baker's 1954 recording of "The Wind" (featured on ''Chet Baker & Strings
*''Chet Baker Sings'' (Pacific Jazz, 1953)
*'' Grey December'' (Pacific Jazz, 1953 992
*''Chet Baker Quartet featuring Russ Freeman'' (Pacific Jazz, 1953)
*''Witch Doctor'' (Contemporary, 1953 985
*'' West Coast Live'' - with Stan Getz (1954 997
*'' Pretty/Groovy'' (World Pacific, 1953-54 958
*'' The Trumpet Artistry of Chet Baker'' (Pacific Jazz, 1953–54)
*''Chet Baker & Strings