1. Freddie Redd was an American hard-bop pianist and composer.
24 Facts About Freddie Redd
1. 2.
Freddie Redd is best known for writing music to accompany The Connection, a play by Jack Gelber.
3.
Freddie Redd led a Blue Note album of his music for the play, featuring on alto sax Jackie McLean, who had appeared in the play.
4.
Freddie Redd was born and grew up in New York City; he was raised by his mother, who moved around Harlem, Brooklyn and other neighborhoods.
5.
Freddie Redd's father was a porter and played piano while his mother was a homemaker.
6.
Freddie Redd learned how to play the piano when he was 18.
7.
Freddie Redd was passionate about practicing and listened to many of his inspirations, such as Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, and Thelonious Monk.
8.
Freddie Redd was passionate about moving around and enjoyed the lifestyle of traveling to new places.
9.
Freddie Redd mentioned that the main reason as to why he lived in various countries in Europe was due to the environment and how they accepted artists.
10.
The main drive for Freddie Redd moving to Europe in the 60s and 70s was because of the many opportunities it provided him.
11.
Freddie Redd lived in Los Angeles in the late 70s, where he recorded Straight Ahead.
12.
Freddie Redd returned to New York in 1949 after his enlistment ended, where he played with various artists such as Gene Ammons, Sonny Rollins, and Art Farmer.
13.
Freddie Redd toured Sweden in 1956 with Ernestine Anderson and Rolf Ericson.
14.
Freddie Redd was the leader of Prestige and toured Sweden in 1956 with Ernestine Anderson and Rolf Ericson.
15.
Freddie Redd continued to perform with Charles Mingus soon after.
16.
Freddie Redd was convicted of possession of marijuana, resulting in the loss of his cabaret card.
17.
Freddie Redd continued to apply to the Greenwich House School of Music before leaving and getting his first professional job at Hy's in Syracuse.
18.
Freddie Redd eventually introduced Redd to author Jack Gelber, who played a major role in the creation of his biggest accomplishment from The Connection.
19.
Freddie Redd originally recorded enough material for an album in 1961 the tapes were put away once he had a conflict with one of Blue Note's founders, Alfred Lion.
20.
Freddie Redd struggled to establish himself commercially; however, musically, his creative lines, particular voicings and innovative compositions solidified his reputation; he worked with such musicians as Jackie McLean, Tina Brooks, Paul Chambers, Howard McGhee, Milt Hinton, Lou Donaldson, Benny Bailey, Charles Mingus, Louis Hayes, Al McKibbon, Billy Higgins, Osie Johnson, Tommy Potter, and Joe Chambers, among others.
21.
Freddie Redd even contributed organ to James Taylor's original 1968 recording of "Carolina in My Mind".
22.
Freddie Redd recorded several albums as leader, including two other Blue Note albums.
23.
Freddie Redd returned to the United States in 1974 and resettled on the West Coast; he became a regular on the San Francisco scene and recorded intermittently until 1990.
24.
Freddie Redd died in New York City on March 17,2021, aged 92.