Von Freeman 87th Birthday Jam Chicago live jazz concert photos by John Broughton (original) (raw)

All Photos by John Broughton, Copyright 2009

Two of Chicago's favorite tenor saxophonists are celebrating important birthdays this year. One is Fred Anderson (see our review of his live DVD here) who turned 80 this year. The other is the inimitable Von Freeman, who is now 87 and still playing. Besides being a legendary player with monster chops and a sound all his own, this veteran sax icon has acted as a mentor to many young players in Chicago as host of his weekly New Apartment Jam on the South Side. Here John Broughton captures the action as Von and a number of his proteges celebrate eight decades of a life full of jazz.