What's New at the Freddie Green Web Site
July 7, 2025
We've added a new transcription of the tune Basie's Bag by David Williams from a 1979 recording by Count Basie and the Kansas City 8.
September 30, 2024
We've added a new transcription of the tune All of Me by Michael Pettersen and David Lay Williams from a 1964 television program. We also have a new magazine cover photo from 1962 in our photo gallery.
August 23, 2023
We've added a new transcription of the tune Hay Burner by David Lay Williams.
December 21, 2022
Nick Rossi has authored a comprehensive article entitled "Streamline Your Swing - The Legacy of Freddie Green--and What You Can Learn From Jazz's Most Important Rhythm Guitarist" which appears in the January/February 2023 edition of Acoustic Guitar Magazine.
January 16, 2022
We discovered a review of Freddie's "Mr. Rhythm" recording that was published in Downbeat magaizine in 1956. And here's a Freddie Green discography from the Discography of American Historical Recordings at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
December 28, 2020
We have a new transcription from Michael Pettersen comparing Freddie's playing with Bucky Pizzarelli on the tune "Topsy". We also added a new article about the Stromberg Master 400 that belonged to both Fred Guy (of the Duke Ellington Orchestra) and Freddie Green.
March 7, 2017
We added a transcription by Ronald Mueller and Michael Pettersen of Fly Me To The Moon from the seminal album "It Might As Well Be Swing" with the Count Basie Orchestra and Frank Sinatra.
November 30, 2016
We added a new transcription of The Second Time Around and a new quote from Frank Foster. We also added several new images to the photo gallery, including a 1943 film promotional shot, Freddie at the piano, a recording session, a French magazine cover, and Freddie's professional resume.
May 12, 2015
We received word that the biography of Freddie Green written by his son, Alfred Green will be available on August 19, 2015. We're looking forward to this and will provide a link when we get it.
Note: The Freddie Green website and its contributors receive no compensation from the sale or the advertisement of this book.
March 29, 2012
Read Michael's extensive interview with Dennis Mackrel, drummer and current Director of the Count Basie Orchestra. Mr. Mackrel shares numerous memories and stories from his years with the Basie band up until Freddie's death in 1987. We also added an early 1950's photo from Clark Terry's autobigraphy.
January 22, 2012
We've added a book excerpt for Clark Terry's wonderful and funny autobiography.
October 12, 2011
Check out Michael Pettersen's arrangement of the classic tune "Four Brothers" in the style of Freddie Green.
Freddie never recorded this tune (as far as we know), but this is a worthy study in the use of of two-note chords (or dyads), an approach that Freddie incorporated into his rhythm guitar playing.
May 3, 2011
Michael Pettersen has transcribed one of the few solos Freddie Green ever recorded. The tune is Ain't Misbehavin' from Count Basie's Memories Ad Lib session with Joe Williams. We also received another 100th birthday tribute from renowned guitarist John Pizzarelli.
March 31, 2011
Today is Freddie Green's 100th Birthday! We posted some touching tributes to Mr. Rhythm, including one from his son, Al. We also added a new listening page with 20 audio samples that demonstrate Freddie's style and evolution. There's a new interview of record producer George Avakian. We also discovered several new (to us) book excerpts from Jon Hancock, Burt Korall, Ross Russell, Milt Hinton, Marshal Royal, and George Gruhn. We added new quotes by B.B. King, Jay Graydon, Monk Lowe, and Leonard Feather. Michael Pettersen also added a short transcription of the tune Stereophonic. And we received two new articles for the techniques section. One is by guitarist Ro Takayama. The other is by Mike Caruso and focuses on the style of Barry Galbraith. Check out Loren Schoenberg's liner notes from an historic compilation of Lester Young recordings. We also continue to receive encouraging comments and thoughtful feedback. Thanks for visiting, and take a moment to ask your friends to remember Freddie Green too!
August 3, 2010
Matt Butterman, a Master of Music student at William Paterson University, wrote an excellent thesis entitled Freddie Green: A Musical Analysis of the Guitar in the Count Basie Rhythm Section. Mr. Butterman was kind enough to share his work here.
September 15, 2009
We added three new trtanscriptions. After Supper and April In Paris are from our newest contributor, Jakub Cervenka in the Czech Republic. Michael Pettersen contributed a Butch Miles tune entitled Hail To The Chief. Jakub also assembled a nice diagram and explaination of Freddie Green chord forms. We also added a book excerpt from a Bucky Pizzarelli biography and some interesting liner notes by Turk Van Lake. And our good friend, Carl-Gustaf Edhardt sent three new photos he took during a concert in Stockholm, Sweden in 1986. We were sad to learn that Lawrence Lucie, one of the last great rhythm men of Freddie's era, passed away.
August 6, 2008
We discovered some interesting liner notes by Loren Schoenberg describing the importance of bassist Walter Page's contributions to the Count Basie Orchestra and the Kansas City Sound.
June 12, 2008
New content continues to surface and we've recently added the following:
January 7, 2008
Happy New Year! We've posted recent interviews with noted guitarists Marty Grosz and Lawrence Lucie. There's also a new quote by Madeleine Peyroux plus an inventory of Freddie Green items that were recently donated to the Charleston Jazz Initiative Archives, located at the Avery Center for Afro-America Studies. And we added an excerpt from Duke Ellington's autobiography.
August 24, 2007
Trevor de Clercq contributed The Improvised Counterpoint of Freddie Green by Trevor de Clercq, a fine academic paper, along with transcriptions of Count's Place, Oh, Lady Be Good, Secrets, Tally Ho, Mr. Basie!, and What'cha Talkin'.
May 25, 2007
Michael Pettersen composed a tune in honor of Freddie Green's birthday and it's called Blues For Pep.
April 27, 2007
Michael Pettersen has compiled two discographies based upon his own collection of recordings that feature Freddie Green. The first is a listing of tracks where Freddie appears as a sideman without Count Basie Orchestra. The second is a listing of tracks that Freddie recorded with the Count Basie Orchestra. In our book excerpts, we've added a superb selection from Raymond Horricks' Profiles In Jazz. We've also added new quotes and anecdotes from Clark Terry and John McCain (no, not the politician).
March 26, 2007
Michael Pettersen has contributed a new transcription of "Jumpin' At The Woodside". this version is a prime example of how Freddie's one-note chord technique provided melodic interest in addition to a solid quarter note pulse. Michael has also posted the liner notes he wrote for Bucky Pizzarelli's "5 For Freddie" tribute CD.
March 21, 2007
It's the first day of Spring and the Webmaster has come out of hibernation. My sincere apologies to my fellow contributors and to our visitors who may have been looking for updates to appear.
Freddie was honored in February as part of our nation's Black History Month in his home town of Charleston, SC with the Count Basie-Freddie Green Humanitarian Award. We've added new articles on rhythm guitar technique by two reknown musicians, Jerry Krahn and James Chirillo. We also posted newly acquired photos of a sunburst Stromberg Master 300 that was once owned by Freddie. If you want to see a high quality DVD of the Basie band in performance, be sure to watch "Count Basie: Live in '62". Additional information about this video is included on our Resources page. We also added a new photo and a quote from violinist Aaron Weinstein.
March 7, 2007
It was 20 years ago today that this world lost the great Freddie Green. "Mr. Rhythm" died shortly after finishing a performance with the Count Basie Orchestra at a Las Vegas hotel. May he continue to rest in peace.
November 12, 2006
IN STORES NOW : "5 For Freddie", Bucky Pizzarelli's CD tribute to Freddie Green. Our Chief Editor, Michael Pettersen wrote the liner notes for this Arbors Records release.
August 22, 2006
Take a look at the transcription
of Orange, Brown, and
Green. This is an up tempo "rhythm changes" tune from Freddie's
1975 recording with Herb Ellis. This transcription was done by our newest
contributor, Mike Rupsch.
August 4, 2006
The last two months have seen exciting developments and new material
for this web site. Here's the latest: Interviews with Frank
Foster, Butch
Miles, Bucky Pizzarelli,
and Will
Matthews. Learn about the origin of
Freddie's nickname. Read quotes from
Jay Leonhart and John Bunch. See photos and information about the ASCAP
Jazz Wall of Fame. Check out new
additions to our discography and resource listings.
June 17, 2006
Here's an exciting new addition to the web site: We've obtained photos of actual instruments that were owned by Freddie Green at the time of his death in 1987.
Michael Pettersen has contributed a concise article about why Freddie Green worked well with pianists. We also added three more obituaries from US newspapers.
May 27, 2006
Freddie Green's son, Al has graciously shared the eulogy he wrote for
his father's memorial service.
Freddie Green will be inducted to the American Society of Composers,
Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP)
Jazz Wall of Fame in a ceremony on June 21, 2006 in New York, NY. Other
inductees for 2006 will be Sarah Vaughan and Fletcher Henderson as well
as living legends Frank Foster, Horace Silver, and Clark Terry.
Bucky Pizzarelli just finished recording a tribute to Freddie Green.
Look for the Arbors Records CD
to be released sometime later this year.
May 23, 2006
Just when you thought we were out of new material we managed to come
up with some great new stuff. Check out the interview and
comments about Freddie's technique from
bassist Lynn Seaton, an alumnus of the Basie band. We also added eleven
new photos from the University on Missouri
Buck Clayton Archives. Thanks to visitor Kevin Canning for alerting us
to this find. We also changed the layout of our photo
page to separate images approximately
by decade. Oh, and don't miss the new quote from Clark
Terry.
April 28, 2006
This month Michael Pettersen presents an extended transcription of Every
Day I Have The Blues. This is a classic example of Freddie's "one-note
chord" style and a master class in playing the blues with a big band.
Michael has also included a brief statistical analysis of Freddie's note
choices.
March 22, 2006
The big news for us is that we were contacted by Freddie's son, Al several
weeks ago. He sent a kind note after discovering our web site and later
gave us permission to post
his words.
We've added several other new items as well. Check out Michael's transcriptions
of Mutt & Jeff and The
Deacon, both from the Basie's classic
"Chairman of the Board" recording. We also added book excerpts from a
newer book about Billie Holiday plus an excerpt from John
Hammond's autobiography.
There's a new quote from guitarist John Pisano, more liner
notes from
Freddie's "Mr. Rhythm" LP, and several new photos.
February 3, 2006
We have added two new solo transcriptions. Yes, SOLO transcriptions!
Michael Pettersen unearthed recordings of Don't
Cry, Baby and The Elder featuring
bona fide Freddie Green guitar solos. We have also added a new book excerpt
from The Sweet Hell Inside by Edward Ball.
December 1, 2005
Check out the liner notes from a French reissue of the Mr.
Rhythm recording. We've also added a new transcription of From
Coast To Coast with special focus on quarter
note pulse analysis. We also discovered a new photo.
September 16, 2005
New quotes and anecdotes from Bob Blumenthal and Bill Cheney, plus some
typographic corrections thanks to our friend Jim Elick.
May 20, 2005
As you can see it's been a few months since we've added anything new,
but now the wait is over and there are several additions you should examine.
Michael Pettersen has contributed five new transcriptions, including
Ain't Misbehavin', Blues
In Frankie's Flat, Cherry
Point, Midgets, and
Ode To Pres. We've also added
new articles and excerpts from Melody
Maker,
DownBeat, and Acoustic
Guitar magazines plus a book excerpt by Randi
Hultin. Be sure to check out a wonderful portrait of
Freddie Green that was contributed
by Swedish
photographer
Carl-Gustaf
Edhardt. There are also new quotes by Count Basie and Artie
Shaw.
Check back soon for the new section we're creating to recognize many
other notable rhythm guitarists.
January 7, 2005
Happy New Year! There are a few new posting on the site to kick off
2005. We received a new quote from pianist Judy
Carmichael. Also, Michael
Pettersen revised his comparative
study to include additional information
about Allan Reuss. Michael added a few new recordings to our listing
of non-Basie recording sessions where Freddie
performed as a side man. There's also a new quote from guitarist Henry
Johnson that supports the "one-note chord" theory.
October 21, 2004
Be sure to take a look at Michael Pettersen's new transcription of the
classic Li'l Darlin'. Working
from a live recording where Freddie's guitar microphone was very close,
this may be the most detailed transcription
we have to date. In Michael's words, it "completely wraps up the mature
FG style in 73 bars."
Other new transcriptions include Wee
Baby Blues and Theme. Our
friends in Europe have sent us a few new items, including an obituary from
the Bulletin of the Hot Club of France and a cover
photo from the German magazine Jazz
Podium.
Oh yeah. In case you didn't notice it on the home
page, check out the
audio clip we have that features Freddie speaking.
September 16, 2004
Read this wonderful poem about Freddie
Green by French poet Jacques
Reda. We also discovered a new quote by singer
Marlena Shaw.
July 22, 2004
Michael has added a transcription of the tune Magic
Flea, as well as
an article he wrote for a University
of South Carolina newsletter, which discusses the origins of this Web
site and his personal experiences
in studying Freddie Green.
June 28, 2004
Michael has unearthed more interesting material for the site, including
an excellent article by writer Dominique
Périchon that appeared in the Bulletin of The Hot Club
of France in 1995. We've also added two magazine articles written
during the 1950's
for Metronome magazine by guitarists Barney
Kessel and Tommy Kay. In the
Lessons & Technique section there are some additional thoughts
and reflections from John Parrott, Walter
Page, and Turk Van Lake.
Thanks to Down Beat magazine, we have also added excerpts
from a 1954 Freddie Green interview. A new excerpt from Dan
Morgenstern's book Jazz People now appears and we've added several new
quotes, including ones from Count Basie and Kenny Burrell.
Also, check out the transcription of Time
Out, where Freddie plays
an eight-measure passage employing some not-so-typical (for him)
jazz chords.
May 3, 2004
We've added a new list of recordings featuring Freddie
as a sideman, compiled by Mark Allen. There are three new transcriptions
by Michael Pettersen, including All
Of Me, I Got Rhythm,
and a tune referred to as I Don't
Know, which is based on the same chord changes as I Got Rhythm. We've
also added a new quote by guitarist Al
Hendrickson and discovered two more compositions by Freddie.
March 26, 2004
As the result of his numerous transcriptions, Michael
Pettersen offers this guide to Freddie
Green's favorite chord forms.
March 15, 2004
Four new transcriptions by Michael Pettersen including Blue
Lou, My Kind of Girl,
Southern Exposure, and
a rare Freddie Green solo on West
End Blues. Mark Allen also discovered another Freddie Green composition called Green Is Blue.
March 1, 2004
It was on this day in 1987 that the life of Freddie Green came to an
end, yet seventeen years later we continue to learn more about him. We
have added six new book excerpts to the site, including Gunther
Schuller's The Swing Era (also a separate
technique
article from this
book), Preston Love's A Thousand Honey
Creeks Later: My Life in Music from Basie to Motown, Billie Holiday's Lady
Sings The Blues, James Lincoln Collier's Benny
Goodman And The Swing Era, and Douglas Henry Daniels' Lester
Leaps In: The Life and Times of Lester "Pres" Young.
February 20, 2004
Michael's trip to the Northwestern University library yielded some additional
materials regarding Freddie Green. Check out the newly discovered interview
from the June 1962 issue of Jazz Journal. Michael also found book excerpts
from Chip Deffaa, Dave
Oliphant, and George T. Simon, Jazz
Journal articles by Bill Esposito
and Don Roberts, and two more obituaries
from Downbeat and Jazz
Journal magazines. If that's not enough, check out the articles from
People and Coda
magazines.
February 4, 2004
Newly posted is an interview with Count
Basie and Freddie Green from The World of Swing by Stanley Dance.
From the same book is Lawrence Lucie's take
on rhythm guitar and Freddie Green. Author Whitney
Balliett offers several observations on Basie's guitarist, as does
Joachim E. Berendt. Jazz Times was the
source of a July 2002 article
and a photo of Freddie. Valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer compliments Freddie
in liner notes from a 1958 album, recently re-released on Mosaic Records.
And Freddie makes a rare appearance in an 1962 advertisement for Gretsch
Guitars.
January 16, 2004
Happy New Year! We continue to add new material to the site as we uncover
resources, listen to Freddie's music, and process information. Check
out the book excerpt from Count Basie
- A Bio-Discography by Chris
Sheridan. Michael Pettersen just had a new article, Freddie
Green's Rhythm Guitar Style Revisited published
in Down Beat magazine. This is a follow up to his October 2000 piece
for
the magazine. Also be sure to look at Michael's latest technique article
based on the chord changes to the standard tune Sweet
Lorraine. The Discography section continues to grow, and don't
forget to post a message on our Visitor
Comments page. We enjoy hearing
from you.
December 22, 2003
Albert Romaní offers A
New Hypothesis About Freddie Green's Guitar Technique
November 10, 2003
Michael Pettersen offers a new article entitled "I
Got Rhythm" in the Style of Freddie Green.
November 3, 2003
One of our newest contributors, Albert Romani has provided an alternate
transcription of April
In Paris
along with ideas about Freddie Green's fingering choices. Also, check
out the quotes from one of our favorite living
rhythm guitar players, "Ranger" Doug Green. If you haven't
seen him perform, you really should plan to do so. His group is Riders
In The Sky.
October 10, 2003
Tom Smith from Long Island submitted a photo of Freddie
Green's grave site. Thank's Tom!
October 6, 2003
We've added a short biography
of Freddie's longtime friend and employer William
"Count" Basie.
Most of Freddie's musical career was with the Count, so this biography helps
to provide an overview of Freddie's professional life.
September 30, 2003
Michael has added a new transcription of the tune Kansas
City Shout from the seminal Basie album Chairman of the Board.
September 25, 2003
Michael Pettersen and Mark Allen now feel that they have "cracked the
genetic code" as it relates to major aspects of Freddie's playing. Check
out their transcription on Trav'lin'
Light. Michael also offers a new transcription of One
Armed Bandit, as a follow-up based on this new enlightenment.
August 29, 2003
Two new transcriptions - Shoutin'
Blues and Rat Race - from the album Shoutin'
Blues.
July, 2003
Check out the new transcription of Dr.
Feelgood by Roland Meuller. There are also a few new discography
entries. In a new effort to deter unsolicited e-mail, we have removed
all mail links from this site and the visitor
comments page. We continue to welcome your comments and/or questions
so feel free to send a note using the contact links on our revised contributors
page. Be assured that we won't send you any spam and won't share your
e-mail address with any other party.
May 13, 2003
We just added three new photos along with some new quotes and discography
entries.
March 30, 2003
I am now happy to announce the all new and improved Freddie Green web
site. And what better day to launch then on the eve of Freddie's birthday
- he would have turned 92 tomorrow. Here are some of the highlights:
Major changes to the site navigation and page layout. A new photo
page where we've compiled 71 pictures of Freddie. New transcriptions
of Ain't Misbehavin', I'll
Always Be In Love With You, and One
O'clock Jump (3 separate sessions compared). There's a new
listing of Freddie's compositions and
an updated article about the guitars Freddie
played. We've also added many new quotes and
an entire interview with Basie alumnus, Bob
Ojeda. And be sure to drop a note on the Visitor
Comments page, or just take a little while to read some
of the messages posted by enthusiastic people from around
the globe. This site is now
over 100 pages and we hope that you enjoy it and find it useful.
September 12, 2002
The new transcriptions just keep coming in. Roland Mueller has offered
a transcription of Freddie's own composition Corner
Pocket and Mark Allen has offered Good
Time Blues. We've also discovered a few more performance
videos that are worth checking out.
September 9, 2002
We have two excellent new transcriptions by Michael Pettersen and Roland
Mueller: Splanky is a good
example of Freddie Green combining traditional three-note chords with
some two-note voicings while The
Kid From Red Bank is primarily one-note voicings with occasional two-note
chords.
August 23, 2002
Another great addition to the Technique section is Michael Pettersen's
article A Comparative Study of Rhythm
Guitar Styles which examines Western Swing, Allan Reuss, Teddy Wilson,
Barry Galbraith, and Freddie Green on a 12-bar blues chord progression.
August 21, 2002
We just added a superb article by Mark Allen entitled The
Dynamic Chord and Muted Notes (DCMN) analysis of Freddie Green's Rhythm
Guitar Style: What's in a "One-Note" Chord? This piece expands
upon the "One Note Chord" theory first put forth by Michael Pettersen's
Downbeat article. Also, be sure to check out the new quotes
from Harry "Sweets" Edison, on the real reason Freddie played
acoustic guitar.
August 8, 2002
New transcriptions of All Of Me
and She's Just My Size.
July 22, 2002
Exciting new developments over the past several weeks include the addition
of the Freddie Green Interview, an article
and inventory about the Freddie Green Papers,
and a new transcription of Four
Five Six. This web site has recently received mention in Just
Jazz Guitar and JazzTimes magazines.
May 22, 2002
We have a new transcription of Moten
Swing, plus others on the way soon. In addition, we've uncovered several
new recordings (in the discography section)
where you can hear Freddie clearly. There are new book excerpts from Steve
Jordan's autobiography as well as from Masters
of Jazz Guitar by Charles Alexander. Check out the quotes
and photo pages for several new additions.
March 18, 2002
The photo gallery has expanded significantly over the past month. We now
have several new articles, including a 1987 feature from Down Beat Magazine
and insightful pieces written by Jim Hall and Bucky Pizzarelli. Michael
Pettersen has contributed two new transcriptions from the classic Basie
album "Live in London". We really enjoy reading the visitor comments and shared Freddie Green stories from visitors
around the world. Be sure to check it out if you haven't done so.
February 11, 2002
We really appreciate all the great comments left in the guest book from
Freddie Green fans around the globe. If you haven't done so, please leave
your comments. The new Selected Discography is on line, featuring 29 recordings
where you can really hear Freddie play. There are also four more Technique
articles plus new links, quotes, and photos.
January 13, 2002
We have applied a total redesign of the menu and navigation layout along
with a few graphical enhancements. There are several new photos, articles,
stories, and a few book excerpts that contain further insight into Freddie
Green's life and music. Be sure to check out Michael Pettersen's new study
of FG chord voicings for "I've Got Rhythm" changes in the Technique
section. We've even added a German translation of Tim Berens' article
on Freddie's technique, and more translations are on the way.
October 22, 2001
Many exciting developments have taken place over the last month, including
three more great playing technique articles, 49 transcriptions (most are
from Dr. L.H. Dickert's excellent dissertation), new information on guitars
and set up, additional biographical information, new photos, and many
interesting quotes, links, and resources. The basic architecture of the
site is gradually changing to accommodate new material and enable easy
navigation. There's more to come, so please check back.
September, 2001
The content keeps coming in from our contributors. The Web Master has
fallen a bit behind in providing updates here. Sincere apologies.
August 26, 2001
We've begun to obtain some great photos for the Gallery. Web links
and other resource lists are continuously growing.
August 13, 2001
After several enthusiastic e-mail's and a basic mission in place, we launched
the Web site with two great playing/technique articles and a bunch of
Web links. The remainder of the site is in place as a basic outline of
the information we plan to make available. |
