Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix: Mike Freeman

The state of the music industry has been in a constant state of flux over the past decade, forcing musicians to think creatively about their careers. The accessibility of digital recording equipment and a number of do-it-yourself online promotion tools have opened amazing doors to independent artists. On their own, these tools only take a musician so far; an artist’s success relies upon the way in which they use the tools, and the products that they create.

If an artist bases their work upon a shallow concept and simply doesn’t execute their performance in a professional fashion, even the most incredible free tool won’t help them. When a musician integrates a solid artistic core into their work and delivers it with class and style, these tools will take them far.

Veteran New York Latin Jazz vibraphonist Mike Freeman has filled his career with an independent state of mind, something he carries into his upcoming release. Born into a musical family in Omaha, Nebraska, Freeman grew up among the sound of his grandfather’s jazz drums, his grandmother’s piano, and his father’s saxophone. Inspired by his surroundings, Freeman leapt into the drums at five and immersed himself in jazz and rock.

He started playing professionally at the age of thirteen, providing a solid groove for the Resurrected Swing big band and local rock groups. Around the same time, Freeman found a passion in the vibraphone, leading him to a gig with the Omaha Symphony at fifteen. The vibraphone and composition became his prime focuses, leading him to the DePaul University in Chicago for music studies. He built his performance and composition skills during his time at DePaul, and after graduation, he moved his home base to New York City.

Freeman stayed busy in New York as both a leader and sideman, leading to his first recording with his group Spellbound, the self-titled Mike Freeman & Spellbound. He continued performing throughout the city, leading towards his second album as a leader, the 1991 release Street Shuffle. As Freeman’s reputation grew, he garnered significant sideman work, including spots on Stretching The Truth by Mark Holen’s Zambomba and The Manhattan Transfer’s Swing.

Freeman continued to produce his own recordings, finding the resources to create the 2000 album Wiggle Stomp, which made major inroads into jazz radio. He found work across the Latin Jazz world, recording on from Ray Mantilla’s Good Vibrations and performing with Lucho Cuerto’s Black Sugar. Freeman’s 2007 album In the Zone with his group Zonavibe displayed a mature and exciting Latin Jazz sound that showed the strength of Freeman’s vibraphone playing.

With a strong collection of new compositions motivating him, Freeman has started a Kickstarter campaign, looking for contributions to fund a new recording. This would be a wise investment - years of experience as a skilled performer, a smart composer, and an independent artist fuel this project with the exciting potential for another top notch Latin Jazz release.