JAM: February/March 2005 Issue: Feature Story

by Roger Atkinson

Everett Freeman Takes the Stage

Locally, we know him as the pianist of the cookin' Jazz Disciples. If you are a music fan in other major U. S. music centers, or if you treat yourself to the major European jazz festivals, you recognize him as the keyboard player with the popular vocalist Oleta Adams. Of course, we are talking about Everett Freeman, Jr.

Everett was bitten by the jazz bug while a student at the Conservatory at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. It was while playing with the UMKC vocal group called Connections that some jazz inclinations were noticed in his playing, and his string of successes from his student days to the present time have led him to become one of the leading players in the city. For example, he earned the George Salisbury Scholarship at UMKC. He was also the musical director for the one-man show Paul Robeson, first in Kansas City and then satisfying sold-out audiences on the East Coast.

All this led him to his current key gigs. “I really have two separate musical careers, the one with Oleta and then with the Jazz Disciples,” Everett noted in a recent conversation. “They are totally different. With Oleta I mainly play a synthesizer. The style is different than the music of the Jazz Disciples. I am comfortable in both worlds.”

The gig with Oleta Adams started seven years ago; Everett is absolutely speechless in describing Ms. Adams' music, and a sampling of her CDs, such as All The Love, explains why: her beautiful voice shines in her adult-contemporary/R&B repertoire, and the tunes are involving, often have a spiritual message, and are worth a listen. The group's travels have taken Everett around the world, participating in major jazz festivals, including several visits to the prestigious North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland. Everett recently returned from his latest visit to Holland, where Adams has a particularly strong following.

“I did some networking while I was there, and would like to open some doors for other gigs there, and like with the Jazz Disciples. We'd like to increase our profile and play outside of Kansas City. I spoke recently with a club owner from St Louis who heard us at the Blue Room; there is some interest there.” It seems that Chicago would be natural, too; there is no question that this band has talent that should result in a more national and even global reputation.

For now, however, you can catch Everett and the Jazz Disciples locally at one of their two-a-month gigs at the Blue Room or on his occasional appearances with such outstanding Kansas City musicians as vocalist Lisa Henry. The Jazz Disciples have grown into one of the finest and most tenured bands on the local scene, and they blessed us in late 2003 with their fine initial CD, Out of the Comfort Zone. In this quartet (which also features the alto and tenor saxes of Gerald Dunn, drummer Mike Warren, and bassist Tyrone Clark), we hear the straight-ahead jazz side of Everett . You can hear traces of early influences Herbie Hancock and Bobby Timmons, but Everett's mix of chord-heavy solos, percussive comping, and fleet, lyrical, right-hand runs are personal trademarks that clearly show his Kansas City and church-based piano roots.

“Everett gives the Jazz Disciples its identity,” says Dunn of his friend and colleague. “He has strong musical heritage, these roots in the music of the church that come through in his playing. It's this soulful, spiritual element that makes him unique. You don't have to see him to know that sound. He has truly found his own voice, and it's a voice that makes him immediately identifiable. Like Horace Silver, you can pick out Everett after just a few notes.”

Out of the Comfort Zone was a mixture of modern jazz classics and compositions written within the band, including Freeman's soulful “My Baby's Struttin',” with the gospel influence that was characteristic of the best hard bop, and “Chic's Tune,” with its simple melody that proves to be a base for solos of increasing intensity. “We have a lot of new original material that we are working on, too,” says Everett. “We just don't have it quite ready to play in public, though we are getting more comfortable with it.”

One aspect of Freeman's work that has rarely surfaced is his playing in a trio. Such a special treat occurred this past summer, when Dunn was unavailable for the Jazz Disciples regular Blue Monday Jam appearance. The group became the Jazz Disciples Trio, giving Freeman the chance to be the lead voice. “The trio thing is something I'd like to explore more,” Everett related. “It's another step in projecting my voice. It gives me a chance, also, to explore the music of additional composers, such as Cedar Walton, who I particularly enjoy.”

Any recordings in the future? “I would like to get busy later this year on some recording. The trouble is my two musical identities. I have these two distinct audiences as a result, and I would like to satisfy both. It probably means that it would have to be two separate recordings,” he said with a headshake and a chuckle.

“There are a lot of good players, especially younger players, who can play with massive technique and fluency, but they often are indistinguishable from others with similar influences,” Dunn concluded in our conversation. “When Elvin Jones hired a tenor player, he didn't hire someone to play like John Coltrane; he wanted to hear this player's own voice, his own experiences. The players who most attract me are the ones who ultimately synthesize those influences and experiences into their own voice, their own style






	Search our site:		by Roger Atkinson Everett Freeman Takes the Stage Locally, we know him as the pianist of the cookin' Jazz Disciples. If you are a music fan in other major U. S. music centers, or if you treat yourself to the major European jazz festivals, you recognize him as the keyboard player with the popular vocalist Oleta Adams. Of course, we are talking about Everett Freeman, Jr. Everett was bitten by the jazz bug while a student at the Conservatory at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. It was while playing with the UMKC vocal group called Connections that some jazz inclinations were noticed in his playing, and his string of successes from his student days to the present time have led him to become one of the leading players in the city. For example, he earned the George Salisbury Scholarship at UMKC. He was also the musical director for the one-man show Paul Robeson, first in Kansas City and then satisfying sold-out audiences on the East Coast. All this led him to his current key gigs. “I really have two separate musical careers, the one with Oleta and then with the Jazz Disciples,” Everett noted in a recent conversation. “They are totally different. With Oleta I mainly play a synthesizer. The style is different than the music of the Jazz Disciples. I am comfortable in both worlds.” The gig with Oleta Adams started seven years ago; Everett is absolutely speechless in describing Ms. Adams' music, and a sampling of her CDs, such as All The Love, explains why: her beautiful voice shines in her adult-contemporary/R&B repertoire, and the tunes are involving, often have a spiritual message, and are worth a listen. The group's travels have taken Everett around the world, participating in major jazz festivals, including several visits to the prestigious North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland. Everett recently returned from his latest visit to Holland, where Adams has a particularly strong following. “I did some networking while I was there, and would like to open some doors for other gigs there, and like with the Jazz Disciples. We'd like to increase our profile and play outside of Kansas City. I spoke recently with a club owner from St Louis who heard us at the Blue Room; there is some interest there.” It seems that Chicago would be natural, too; there is no question that this band has talent that should result in a more national and even global reputation. For now, however, you can catch Everett and the Jazz Disciples locally at one of their two-a-month gigs at the Blue Room or on his occasional appearances with such outstanding Kansas City musicians as vocalist Lisa Henry. The Jazz Disciples have grown into one of the finest and most tenured bands on the local scene, and they blessed us in late 2003 with their fine initial CD, Out of the Comfort Zone. In this quartet (which also features the alto and tenor saxes of Gerald Dunn, drummer Mike Warren, and bassist Tyrone Clark), we hear the straight-ahead jazz side of Everett . You can hear traces of early influences Herbie Hancock and Bobby Timmons, but Everett's mix of chord-heavy solos, percussive comping, and fleet, lyrical, right-hand runs are personal trademarks that clearly show his Kansas City and church-based piano roots. “Everett gives the Jazz Disciples its identity,” says Dunn of his friend and colleague. “He has strong musical heritage, these roots in the music of the church that come through in his playing. It's this soulful, spiritual element that makes him unique. You don't have to see him to know that sound. He has truly found his own voice, and it's a voice that makes him immediately identifiable. Like Horace Silver, you can pick out Everett after just a few notes.” Out of the Comfort Zone was a mixture of modern jazz classics and compositions written within the band, including Freeman's soulful “My Baby's Struttin',” with the gospel influence that was characteristic of the best hard bop, and “Chic's Tune,” with its simple melody that proves to be a base for solos of increasing intensity. “We have a lot of new original material that we are working on, too,” says Everett. “We just don't have it quite ready to play in public, though we are getting more comfortable with it.” One aspect of Freeman's work that has rarely surfaced is his playing in a trio. Such a special treat occurred this past summer, when Dunn was unavailable for the Jazz Disciples regular Blue Monday Jam appearance. The group became the Jazz Disciples Trio, giving Freeman the chance to be the lead voice. “The trio thing is something I'd like to explore more,” Everett related. “It's another step in projecting my voice. It gives me a chance, also, to explore the music of additional composers, such as Cedar Walton, who I particularly enjoy.” Any recordings in the future? “I would like to get busy later this year on some recording. The trouble is my two musical identities. I have these two distinct audiences as a result, and I would like to satisfy both. It probably means that it would have to be two separate recordings,” he said with a headshake and a chuckle. “There are a lot of good players, especially younger players, who can play with massive technique and fluency, but they often are indistinguishable from others with similar influences,” Dunn concluded in our conversation. “When Elvin Jones hired a tenor player, he didn't hire someone to play like John Coltrane; he wanted to hear this player's own voice, his own experiences. The players who most attract me are the ones who ultimately synthesize those influences and experiences into their own voice, their own style RETURN TO FEBRUARY/MARCH 2005 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2005. All rights reserved.