Von Freeman, Chicago Saxophone Godfather, Dies

Saxophonist Von Freeman, A Chicagoan From Beginning To End Enlarge this image toggle caption Jimmy Katz/Courtesy of the artist Jimmy Katz/Courtesy of the artist Von Freeman, a tenor saxophonist who was iconic within Chicago's music scene and to jazz conoisseurs worldwide, died Saturday at the Kindred Chicago Lakeshore care center. Freeman became a godfather of Chicago's jazz community not only through his distinctive style, which refracted the core language of bebop through its antecedents and outgrowths, but through his active leadership. Freeman attended DuSable High School, where Captain Walter Dyett's music program was regularly producing future stars like Nat "King" Cole, Dinah Washington and Eddie Harris. "That makes me almost want to cry 'cause she was — she never really wanted us to play music, but after we behaved ourselves to a certain extent, she was proud of us," Freeman said.