Guitarist Jerry Carris of Jacksonville, Florida, provided this remarkable
Freddie Green statement:
I met Freddie Green a couple of times, each time backstage after
a Count Basie concert. I found Freddie to be about as low key as some
of his chord voicings. I even got his autograph on the Rhythm Willie
album he recorded for Concord with Herb Ellis.
I was introduced to Freddie by the piano player in the big band
I played with at the time. His name was Lonnie Sloeppy (pronounced 'Slappy'),
and he knew Freddie, Basie, and many of the other players in Basie's
band.
The last time I saw Freddie was in the early 1980's; Basie was still
alive at the time. I figured I probably wouldn't see Freddie again,
so I pressed him a little about his playing style and he told me "I
don't try to play those big 'concert' chords. I play just a couple of
notes, sometimes just one, but it sets the sound of the chord. When
you try to play those big chords, it can make the whole band drag."
