Imagine the 20th-century American dream told in music. Well, you don’t have to imagine. You only have to listen. The Freeman Brothers have commissioned three beautiful chamber music works in the recent CD release,  “Three Tributes”.

Two Brothers, Three Tributes

Last week, I had the unique pleasure of talking to these men - James and Robert. They may be separated by miles but as their stories layer upon each other, you realize that is the only thing that is between them. Raised with music at the core of their lives, their shared love of the art form and the people who made it their world is obvious in every word.

They have music in their blood - somewhere in the range of four generations, including their paternal grandfather Harry Freeman, an English Tavernsman whose world travels landed him on the eastern shores of the United States. In his new life, he led a successful band, finally landing at the world-famous Rochester Eastman Theatre and began the legacy of musical Freemans. 

But to the point and the music at hand, stand the parents, Henry, son of Harry, and Florence Knope. High school sweethearts, they met at Eastman and never looked back. Florence a violinist, comes from an equally pedigreed musical family. So music is the world the Freeman boys were born into, grew up in, and now that they are looking back on these lives, music is at the center of every story they tell. And in this case of the Three Tributes, told with music.

Music in Everything

James “Jim” and Robert “Bob” speak at a rhythm, there is a percussion to their punctuation leaving no doubt that music is in their soul. When they recount stories of the travels that the life of a musician brought them both, their laughter reminds one of bowed instruments not unlike those played on their very album. And when speaking with pride of their mother’s almost radical feminism in the strictured, chauvinist mid-century world of chamber music, both men’s voices literally boom with pride. In other words, the tribute is not limited to the music, but again I have digressed, much like the stories. This was to my great joy, mind you. I would have listened to them for hours. They are definitely the kind of fellas, with whom you want to sit in a screened-in porch, sipping tea, and simply listening all day long.

Again, I return to this beautiful CD. One written completely to honor all of these days and nights surrounded in beats and measures. The title “Three Tributes” reflects the three completely original pieces commissioned for the album.

The first piece, “The Red Snapper Quintet” was written by Kevin Puts as a companion to Schubert’s “Trout Quintet”. I enjoyed the piece to begin, but Bob, now at home in my old hometown of Austin, after his years at the University of Texas,  shared the naming of it landed very close to my current home in Galveston. One of the oldest, and most well-known names in seafood dining on the Seawall is Gaido and a large donation was made by Paul Gaido, a UT alumnus, making this piece happen and naming it after a popular island dish red snapper. I am happy to report that I enjoyed the piece as much as the dish!

The second piece is a reflection of the aforementioned pride of their mother. They refer to as a consciously feminist piece as they wanted it to be composed by a woman and the violin be performed by one, as a nod to their mother as well. Andrea Clearfield was the composer of “Romanza for Violin and Chamber Orchestra”, Gloria Justen is the violinist bringing life to this dynamic piece.

Finally, is the Gunther Schuller piece Sonata for “Two Pianos, Four Hands” played by the two brothers themselves. It is a perfect ending to bring the three to their forte. Just like the brothers telling their stories, each playing of the key, each note, is a living, breathing share of Harry and Florence.

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I am so thankful for the opportunity to review the album and talk with these delightful two fellows.

I hope you will check out the album for yourself:

Three Tributes CD

Available at: https://www.innova.mu/albums/james-and-robert-freeman/three-tributes