#Aussie blues band

[sonic-gonzo]

Last night at the Vanguard Newtown NSW Australia - BACKSLIDERS (040223) 

[darlinhutchence]

michael hutchence stage photography you will always be so dear to me

[jettheband]

The Vines, Jet and The Living End @ The house of blues 2004 ticket stub.

[raatart]

a complete boycott list in alphabetical order

a complete list of companies / brands / franchises to boycott in support of palestine that i have been working on putting together for a while now.

remember to support your local businesses

stand with palestine against genocide

(Food & Beverages)

A

Activia

Acqua Panna

Akmina

Absolute Vodka

Algida

A&W

Aquafina

Alpro

Actimel

B

Burger King

Baskin Robbins

Ben & Jerry's

Bugles

Betty Crocker

Badoit

Becel

C

Coca Cola

Costa Coffee

Cadbury

Cheerios

Cheetos

Campbells

Calve

Cappy

Chiquita

D

Dominos

Dasani

Dunkin' Donuts

Doritos

Dr Pepper

Danone

Dolcela

Damla

Dogadan

E

Evian

Eden

F

Fanta

Frito-lay

Fruit by the Foot Roll Ups

Falim

Fresca

G

Gatorade

Greggs

H

Hardees

Haagen Dazs

Heinz Ketchup

Hershey's

Hard Rock Cafe

Heinz

I

Innocent

Israeli Fruits & Vegetables

J

Jacob's

Jaffa

K

KitKat

KFC

Kbueno

Kraft Mac & Cheese

Kellogg's

Kraft

L

Lipton

Lays

M

McDonald's

Mars

Marks & Spencers

Maggi

Marila

Monster

Mountain Dew

Mehadrin

Minute Maid

Milk Bar

M&M's

Magnum Ice Cream

Milka Chocolates

N

Nestle

Nestle Cereals

Nescafe

Nesquik

Nespresso

Nido

Nutella

Nature Valley

Nestle Milo

Nestle Carnation

Nestle Coffee Mate

Nestle Nestum

Nimbooz

Nestea

O

Orea

Original Shredded Wheat

P

Papa John's

Pepsi

Pringles

Pizza Hut

Perrier

Pillsbury

Popeyes

Pretty a Manager

Pure Life

Powerade

Popup Bagels

Q

Quality Street

Quaker

R

Redbull

Ruffles

S

Starbucks

Subway

Smartwater

Sweetgreen

Snickers

Sprite

Sabra

Sunkist

Strauss

Smarties

S.pellegrino

Schweppes

Sana

Sirma

Sara Lee

T

Toblerone

Tang

Twix

Tesco

Tropicana

U

V

Vittle

Volvic

W

Wall's

Walmart

Walkers

Wrigley's

X

Y

Z

7Up

(Clothing)

A

America Eagle

Adidas

Alo

Adina Eden Jewelry

B

C

Converse

Calvin Klein

Cat

Castro

D

Drew

Diesel

E

F

G

Good American

GAP

H

H&M

I

J

K

Kamili

L

Levi's

Lumberjack

M

Mango

N

Nike

O

Oasis

P

Puma

Q

R

River Island

S

Skims

Skinny Dip

St. Mark

Style Nadia

T

Timberland

U

V

Victoria's Secret

Vakko

W

We Wore That

Wyeth

X

Y

Z

Zara

(Beauty)

A

Aveda

Amika

Avon

Aussie

Aveeno

Always

Aesop

Ahava

B

Bobbi Brown

Blistex

Bath & Body Works

Britney Spears Fragrance

Becca

Biotherm

Beauty Blender

C

Clinique

Covergirl

Colgate

Calgon

Camay

CeraVe

Christina Aguilera Perfumes

Clean & Clear

Crest

CND

Cacharel

D

Dr. Jart+

Dove

Dettol

Darphin Paris

Dark & Lovely

E

Essie

Elidor

F

Fenty Beauty

Fair & Lovely

G

Garnier

Gillette

Glam Glow

H

Honest Beauty

Haci Sakir

Herbal Essences

Head & Shoulders

Hugo Boss

I

J

Jo Malone

Johnson & Johnsom

K

Kerastase

Kiehl's

Kylie Cosmetics

Kylie Skin

Kotex

L

L'Oreal

Lacome

La Roche-Posey

Lifebuoy

Lux

Lubiderm

M

Maybelline

MAC

Moroccan Oil

Maui

Matrix

Max Factor

N

Nyx

Neutrogena

Nivea

Nature's Beauty

Niely

O

Olay

Origins

Orkid

Oral-B

Oax

P

Pepsodent

Pantene

Q

R

Revlon

Rimmel

Rexona

Rhode

S

Summer Fridays

Schick

Smashbox

Sephora

Sensodyne

Skinceuticals

Skin Better Science

T

The Body Shop

Too Faced Cosmetics

The Ordinary

Tom Ford Beauty

Tampax

Takami

U

Urban Decay

Ulta Beauty

V

Vichy

Vaseline

Veet

W

X

Y

Yes to

Yuesai

Z

(Luxury)

A

B

C

Chanel

D

E

Estee Lauder

F

G

Georgio Armani

H

I

J

K

L

LVMH

Louis Vuitton

La Mer

Lavs

Le Labo

M

Mugler

Maison Margiela

N

O

P

Prada

Q

R

Raplh Lauren

S

T

Tiffany & Co.

Tom Ford

Tommy Hilfiger

U

V

Valentino

W

X

Y

Yves Saint Laurent

Z

(Tech & Entertainment)

A

Aol

Amazon

AirBnB

Apple

B

BBC

Buxton

Barbie

Booking.com

C

CNN

D

Disney+

Dell

E

Energizer

F

Ford

Fiverr

G

Galaxy

H

HP

Hyundai

Hulu

I

IBM

Intel

J

K

L

Lego

M

Motorola

Movenpick

Mattel

Microsoft

N

National Geographic

Nokia

Netflix

O

Oracle

Oxi

P

Philips

Q

R

Rolls Royce

S

Siemens

Sodastream

T

Toys R Us

U

V

Volvo

Valvoline

W

Wix

X

Y

Z

(Other)

A

Axa

Ariel

Aero

Ambi Pur

Airwick

Aroma

AVC

Amway

Ace Hardware

Andrex

American Express

B

Bounty

Black & Decker

Bonux

Bref

Braun

Benadryl

Band-aid

Barclays

Blue Cross Blue Shield

Better Help

C

Caltex

Chevron

Culligan

Citi Bank

Chicco

Cravola

Clearblue

Capital One

D

Dash

Drynites

Dosmestos

Doona

E

Expedia

F

Finish

Febreeze

Fixodent

Fairy

G

Goop

Gerber

Gys

H

HSBC

Huggies

Hayat

I

Imodium

J

JCB

K

Kimberly-Clark

Kleenex

L

Lion

Little Swimmers

Lenor

M

Mr Muscle

Minidou

Monsanto

N

Nicorette

O

Omo

P

Pampers

Purina Felix

Payoneer

Palmolive

Protex

Pull-ups

P&G

Prima

Pril

Paramount Pictures

Q

R

Rejoice

Rinso

Rogaine

S

Signal

Sensus

Sudafed

T

Tide

U

Unilever

Us Cellular

V

Vim

Vanish

Vicks

W

X

Y

Yumus

Z

(Places)

A

B

C

D

Disney

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

(People)

A

Ashley Tisdale

Amy Schumer

Andy Beshear

B

Bono

Ben Savage

Bella Thorne

Beyonce

C

Chris Evans

Claire Holt

Ciara

Chris Rock

Chris Pine

D

Demi Lovato

Dwayne Johnson

DJ Khaled

E

Eva Longoria

F

G

Gal Gadot

H

I

Ian Somerhalder

J

Jamie Lee Curtis

James Maslow

Justin Bieber

Jennifer Aniston

Jaclyn Hill

Jack Harlow

Jordan Peele

Joseph Quinn

Jack Black

K

Kylie Jenner

Kim Kardashian

Kris Jenner

Kerry Washington

Katie Perry

Karlie Kloss

Khloe Kardashian

Kat Graham

Kendall Jenner

Kourtney Kardashian

L

Lebron James

Lana Condor

Lana Del Rey

M

Millie Bobby Brown

Malala

Mindy Kaling

Mark Hamill

Madonna

N

NFL

Nina Dobrev

Natalie Portman

Nabela

Nicole Richie

Noah Schnapp

O

Octovia Spencer

P

Perez Hilton

Paul Wesley

Phoebe Tonkin

Pia Mia

P!nk

Q

R

Ronaldinho

Rihanna

S

Sofia Richie

Shaquir O'neal

Selena Gomez

T

Tara Strong

Taika Waititi

Taylor Swift

Tyler Perry

U

Usher

U2

V

Vanessa Hudgens

Viola Davis

W

X

Y

Z

[chic-a-gigot]

La Mode nationale, no. 50, 13 décembre 1902, Paris. Robe Simple (2). Supplément au no. 50 du 13 décembre 1902 de la Mode nationale. Bibliothèque nationale de France

(2) — Robe simple, en bure écossaise mélangée et quadrillée de plusieurs tons de beige. Jupe à plis chevauchés derrière et tout unie. Corsage blousant dans une ceinture de panne ciel. Décolleté en V sur un plastron de panne ciel. Petits revers en pékiné bleu et blanc, encadrés d'une bande découpée en taffetas blanc à dépassant de panne ciel; cette bande recouvre la fermeture et vient finir à la taille. Manche chemisette un peu large sur le haut de laquelle se rejoignent deux crosses faites d'un petit biais de panne ciel.

Même modèle en flanelle; on pourrait aussi exécuter ce type en flanelle américaine; il en est de tons très jolis.

(2) — Simple dress, in mixed Scottish homespun and checkered in several tones of beige. Skirt with overlapping pleats at the back and all plain. Blousant bodice in a sky pane belt. V-neckline on a sky-panel bib. Small lapels in blue and white pekiné, framed by a cut band in white taffeta protruding from the sky panel; this band covers the closure and ends at the waist. Slightly wide shirt sleeve at the top of which two butts made of a small bias of sky purlin meet.

Same model in flannel; we could also make this in American flannel; There are some very pretty tones.

Matériaux: 6 mètres de bure; 1m,25 de panne; 0m,50 de soie blanche.

[storycraftcafe]

Character Profile Tag

Thanks for tagging me @inseasofgreen

Gonna dig into my notes for the lading lady of my unnamed paranormal romance thingy.

Rules: Copy and paste the template, fill it out for one or more of your OC's, then post your OC's and the blank template for others to copy and paste.

Name: Katherine

Nickname: Kat, Kathy, never Kath

Kind of being: Human.

Age: 21-22

Sex: Female

Appearance: Young, around average height, stocky build with strong shoulders, and thick thighs. Shoulder length wave, dyed black, faded ends, green eyes. Wears glasses, prefers darker clothing varying from practical and comfortable to standard rock girl fare: boots, jeans, band shirt and jacket.

Occupation: Retail at a Outdoor and Hunting Store. (long story)

Family Members: Dad: Stephen, tragically and very recently deceased. (right in front of her). Mum: Alice. Alive but estranged but currently taking her daughter in. Also has secretive reasons for leaving that are plot/worldbuilding related. Paternal Uncle: Bazza (Benjamin), an absolute rough-nut of a human. Handles pest control on farms and shears sheep, helps manage livestock Kind of a nomad. Maternal Grandmother: Linda. Kat doesn't remember her Grandmother well or fondly. Might have something to do with that boatload of trauma.

Pets: Crocbait, knowns as Croc, Crocca, or "Absolute mongrel". Service dog for panic attacks, anxiety and PTSD and the like. Is a mutt, seems to be some combination of Blue Heeler (aussie cattle dog) and Labrador mix. The result is an energetic, friendly but fiercely protective companion that knows how to be adorable on demand.

Best friend: Back in Aus: Rachel - Roommate and bestie, athletic playing Netball on the weekends, degree in business and working at a call center to make ends meet. Taught Kat crotchet and his a small side business making crochet stuffies. In the US: Alex: Very neurodivergent, transman and just a practical nerd. Shoots for fun/hunting. Introvert, but sees a fellow outsider in Kat and offers the kind of friendship they wished they had. Strong problem solver and a stable rock.

Describe his/her room: More of a guest bedroom with en-suite upgraded. At one point her Mum hope she'd visit and use it so there's still some younger vibes, a few of Kat's favourite toys untouched for years and pale colours. Kat's touch is limited with darker bed spreads, personal photos and a books. It's early days yet and she isn't sure how long she's staying around.

Way of Speaking: Wry sarcasm, and quick wit, casual and slag filed until she's pissed off then it gets precise and impersonal and a little condescending. If it suddenly starts raining hard, she's likely to ask "Think it'll rain?" while getting soaking wet.

Physical characteristics (posture, gestures, attitude): Good posture, stims by rubbing her hands, along a scar from arrow fletching on her right hand. Jiggles her leg, bites her lip when anxious. Facial expressions tend to be subtle when she's not feeling something intense. Exudes physical confidence, holds herself upright, head high and a still developing "dont fuck with me" aura. Stares unintentionally. has the ADHD postural sway, and bumps into things a lot.

Items in his/her pockets or backpack or purse: Clicky card stim, treats for Crocbait, minipen and notepad, phone, earbuds, ear plugs, some kind of snack. Usually a book to read.

Hobbies: Reading, so much reading, fiction and non fiction. Archery, with the occasional bit of pest hunting back home. Games but just the cosy ones. Crochet. Woodworking.

Favorite sports: Archery, martial arts (tae kwon do and juitsu). Loves HEMA but hasnt had the chance (or money) to try it.

Talents, abilities, or powers: Scary good instinctive archer, pretty decent hunter. Fast reader, strong memory for information, facts and semi eidetic memory (visual memory which helps with her poor working memory). Fantastically calm in a crisis (just brace for the meltdown after).

Relationships (how he/she is with other people): Shy and cautious at first but friendly. Uses humour as a buffer, and presents herself as easy going and calm. You know you're getting close when you start seeing the dryer sarcasm, the grumpy moods and she drops the "just like everyone else" mask that can and has creeped people out. With her trusted people, she lets her neurodivergence fly and is a weird, somewhat temperamental nerd dealing with a lot of guilt, grief, and suicidal ideation.

Fears: Deep running water, car accidents as the passenger, large "trucks/utes". Flooded roads. Meltdowns in public.

Faults: Reactive and temperamental. Her well read, well learned background lends to arrogance and condescension. She's working on both. Overly independent to the point of self harm, and a little too self deprecating.

Good points: Passionate, compassionate and genuinely kind. Strong believer that everyone has their strengths, that smarts is more than academics, and is generally warm, safe and protective of her people. Likes to uplift over tearing down.

What he/she wants more than anything else: Her Dad back. One way or another. The hurt to stop. Throwing a free for all tag but tapping @ryns-ramblings @author-a-holmes ad @spideronthesun to join in if you like.

Template under the cut:

Name:

Nickname:

Kind of being:

Age:

Sex:

Appearance:

Occupation:

Family Members:

Pets:

Best friend:

Describe his/her room:

Way of Speaking:

Physical characteristics (posture, gestures, attitude): 

Items in his/her pockets or backpack or purse:

Hobbies:

Favorite sports:

Talents, abilities, or powers:

Relationships (how he/she is with other people):

Fears:

Faults:

Good points:

What he/she wants more than anything else:

[bloodblossomtree]

FANART

A collection of my fanart labled to show what fandom it’s for and make it easier to find!

Anything I that isn’t underlined isn’t linked cause it’s ‘to be posted’ but WILL go up!

Pieces that include ‘*’ in the description feature my persona in some form (not an in universe oc) and are likely self ship art (x is shipping, + is/could be platonic)

Undertale

Happy bday my jokey lad!! (Sans bday 2024)

Game night (Undertale anniversary 2024)

The jumper fiasco (Christmas sprite 2023)

He tiny!!! (Sans + * hight joke)

Blue beauty (Undyne bust)

A fab lil man (silly papyrus sketch)

A walk through the park (sans x * art)

Uni redesigned project

A run through snowdin (full concept piece)

FIT CHECK!!! (Frisk Sans Pap surface outfit)

Serious business (Frisk sans pap formal wear)

The Great Papyrus (papyrus designe concept)

Sans the skeleton (sans designe concept)

Frisk the human (frisk designe concept)

Undertale AU

Ya know like rawr (Fell sans bowser full peice)

A fallen brother (Fell papyrus in snowdin)

Welcome to the SMOKE SHOW (swap pap)

NYA-Ha-ha (silly neko papyrus sketch)

you did not wake up like that (swap pap x * )

M I S S (swap pap full body)

Waiter waiter more yaoi please (swap pap)

Bitch said what!?! (Swap pap bust)

These bitches gay good for them (fell sans x *)

The Amazing Digital Circus

Silly string (oc + cannon interactions/concept)

The peppermint bandit (TADC au pomni art)

My Aussie boy T~T (gummie goo sketch page)

Silly old man (silly Kinger sketch)

Smile for the camera!!! (Cain expression sheet)

Awful boye (Jax sketch)

Welcome home

Open ne noor (silly chibi Wally art CW:eyes)

Can you see me? (Wally sketch CW:eyes)

Don’t forge your safety gear! (Spick sketch)

Poppy you sweetie (poppy + Spick sketch)

Let’s welcome Spick spanning!! (Oc sketch)

Best Friends! <3 (Julie + Frank sketch)

Trolls

Look at em go! (Trolls oc sketch)

Lil baby <3 (trolls oc sketch)

Eeeeeh I love this band! (Trolls oc sketch)

Stompies!!! (Trolls oc stimming)

Pretty lady…(trolls oc art)

Hollow knight

Hollow knight (chibi sketch)

A lil guuuuy~ (the vessel full colour piece)

Tall lady~ (hornet full colour piece)

Little prince (oc concept sketch)

Indigo park

Let me get a good look at you (rambly sketch)

Jota says HELLO! (Indigo park oc sketch)

Hazbin hotel

It’s the birthday boi! (Angel dust bday)

Handsome man (husk sketch)

Short king (husk + oc sketch)

Aphmau

The cloaked stranger (MCD Aaron redesign)

That gangs all here (PDH shadow knights)

Gravity falls

Freak matched (* bill sona)

Mid life crisis man (Stanley x oc)

Fancy feet (stanley x oc)

Pathologic

The prickly prick (Daniil Dankovsky sketch)

[ungoliantschilde]

Powerage, 1978.

Worked all day, spent most of it thinking about how to articulate what I want to say about this album.

This is the album where Cliff Williams joined the band as the bass player, and Phil Rudd solidified himself as the third piece of the band’s bedrock: the rhythm section. Malcolm Young is regularly called the greatest rhythm guitarist of all time. Just a brilliant, brilliant player and a riff-writing machine. Phil Rudd’s drumming has a swing to it that perfectly matches what the band does when they’re at their best. And Cliff Williams on bass just locks in with Phil and Mal. Mal, Angus, Phil, and Cliff are the best AC/DC lineup. All of them just seem to know exactly how to play with each other in perfect lock step.

Now, for Bon’s work on Powerage, I am gonna talk about the lyrics.

Let There Be Rock, lyrically, exemplified everything enjoyable about Bon Scott. He was a wild-eyed, mischievous good time at his best. Powerage exemplified the dark side of that personality. It has the most personal, emotional, and directly confessional lyrics of their entire catalogue. For a band that is defined by seeking commercial success, an album comprised of almost entirely first person accounts of heartache is noteworthy. Bon was beloved for being a lewd, lascivious, rabble rousing ring-leader of a band of miscreants.

But Powerage was Bon as a broken hearted poet.

When an interviewer asked Angus what Bon was like, he said “what you see is what you get”. That is what Angus remembers about Bonny: that you could absolutely judge that book by its cover. In another interview, Angus was asked about why Bon drank himself to death, Angus answered in his typically terse style again, “it’s in the songs, mate.”

The songs on Powerage, to be specific.

From “Rock and Roll Damnation”:

-you say that you want respect, honey for what? for everything that you’ve done for me, thanks a lot. you say that I act the fool, well honey I’m a fool for you.

From Brian Johnson’s favorite song, “Down Payment Blues”:

-feeling like a paper cup, floating down a storm drain

From my favorite track, “Gimme a Bullet”:

-she had the word, had the way, the way of letting me know. She said ‘you go your way, and I’ll go mine, and that’ll be the start’. Come tomorrow, come to grips with being all alone. Give me a bullet to bite on. Something to chew. Give me a bullet to bite on and I’ll make believe, I’ll believe it’s you.”

From, “What’s Next to the Moon”:

-it’s your love that I want (background: your love that I need)

From, “Gone Shootin’”:

-Bought a ticket of her own accord… …I stirred my coffee with the same spoon… She never made it past the bedroom door, what was she even for? I took a lover in another town, she took another pill. She was runnin’ in an overdrive, a victim of overkill. My baby’s gone Shootin’… I used to love her so.

According to what I’ve read, Bon once had two separate women in the maternity ward, and they were unaware of each other. Bon was not a guy that would have done well in the age of social media and cellphone cameras. His point was that he found a girl who loved him for being a rock star, and he was not gonna quit being a rock star for her. He was a gross, lascivious and carousing womanizer. And she knew it. When she did the same things back to him, Bon didn’t like being on the receiving end. He was drunk and high most of the time, living out of hotel rooms and the beds of welcoming lovers in every town.

The end was coming, and his family and friends all knew it. No one that knew Bon was shocked when he drank himself to death. The tragedy was how inevitable it was at this point in life.

Powerage was the last of the Aussie made albums. The finale of their time as a bar band. And it’s their most personal, most poignant, and most heartbreaking.

Sad lyrics aside, Powerage is the album that every rockstar that grew up with AC/DC cites as the band’s best. Slash, Joe Perry, and basically every guitar player that was in a band formed after 1983 says the same thing. Powerage is packed with virtuoso performances from every band member. Every track is an all time favorite guitar riff.

Listen to it. Pay attention to it. It’s AC/DC’s breakup album. There’s a reason it’s so well regarded.

[jpbjazz]

LÉGENDES DU JAZZ

CHICO FREEMAN, L’EXPLORATEUR

"My goal is to explore new worlds, and I don't want to be limited by categories. I don't want to be told that I can't go into other categories. The only limitations I place on myself are the limitations I place on my own imagination. And within that realm, there are none."

- Chico Freeman

Né le 17 juillet 1949 à Chicago, dans les Illinois, Earl Lavon ‘’Chico’’ Freeman Jr. est issu d’une famille de musiciens. Fils du légendaire saxophoniste ténor Von Freeman, Freeman est aussi le neveu du guitariste George Freeman et du batteur Bruz Freeman. Chico avait d’abord commencé par prendre des cours de piano lorsque son frère Everett avait découvert une série d’instruments au sous-sol de la maison familiale, dont une trompette. Freeman expliquait: ‘’One time, my brother and I went searching in the basement through my dad’s old Navy stuff that he’d packed away. We found a trumpet and a saxophone. My brother took the saxophone and I took the trumpet. When my dad told the story he would say the sounds we made were “bleep” and “blat” because we were trying to play something. Anyway, he came down and saw the mess we made. Because of that, I ended up joining the school band on trumpet. At the same time I was singing in groups, trying to sound like the Drifters and Motown, things like that. The Temptations were my all-time favorite group, so I kept joining singing groups all through grammar and high school.’’

Décrivant ses débuts dans la musique, Freeman avait poursuivi:

‘’When I was young we had lots of kids on my block. We had one family with fifteen kids, which was great because you hardly had to leave the block to play. During summer, my dad would have rehearsals. He had the piano in the living room, so when on the front porch you could sit and actually look inside the house through the window and see the piano. I remember seeing people like Leroy Vinnegar, Malachi Favors and Andrew Hill. Other Chicago musicians would come and play with the Freeman Brothers band. The band included my uncle George on guitar and my uncle Bruz on drums. They’d set up in the living room and have a rehearsal. We’d have all the windows open because we didn’t have air conditioning and they would start playing. Within minutes, the front porch was filled with kids; we’d have a big party outside with all my friends. The funny thing is, Richard Davis, the bass player, lived across the street from us, and down the street was Frank Leslie, whose auntie was Abbey Lincoln from Chicago. There was always somebody famous hanging around the house. I was just used to musicians coming over. It was really fun. They were just people that I knew as a kid, with my brother and two sisters at the time. That’s what my dad did. My mom took me to the Regal Theater when I was five––it was kind of like the Apollo of Chicago. She took me to see my dad play with Miles Davis, and that was the band with Coltrane, “Cannonball” and Paul Chambers. I remember him standing next to Miles and Coltrane, playing. I’ll never forget that; I can see it clear as day. Ironically, John Coltrane died on my birthday, so there’s kind of a connection there that’s really unique.’’

Inspiré par l’oeuvre de Miles Davis, et plus particulièrement par l’album Kind of Blue (1959), Freeman avait commencé à apprendre la trompette. Freeman explique comment il avait découvert Davis:

‘’Then I got excited when I discovered Miles’ Kind of Blue album. I thought it was great and remember taking the record to the classical trumpet player. I thought he’d be thrilled about it, but he was a harsh critic of Miles and said, “Oh, he doesn’t play in tune; he’s cracking a lot of notes.” You know, for him, Miles wasn’t “great”—I was crushed. [laughs] I did like this guy, but I couldn’t get Miles out of my head as far as the trumpet. His sound and his choice of notes just got to me. It was going to be very hard for me to be original, because there were no other trumpet players I found on a high enough level for me. So, instead, for two weeks I practiced tenor sax. That was it for me––I realized I should’ve been playing the saxophone years earlier.’’

Son père achetant très peu de disques car il ne désirait pas que son fils soit trop influencé et puisse développer son propre style, Freeman avait poursuivi son apprentissage avec un de ses amis. Il poursuivait:

‘’Then I went to one of my friend’s, Soji Adebayo (Anthony Porter’s) house––his father had an incredible wall-to-wall jazz collection in his living room. The funny thing was, this introduced me to the music of Charles Mingus, Eric Dolphy and guys like that. Later on I was introduced to Coltrane’s music, even though I already knew of Coltrane when I saw my dad playing with him. But it was Soji and his father who really pulled me to the records, because my dad didn’t have a lot of records––he was practicing all of the time and not really listening to music. When you’re growing up listening and learning to play and really getting into it, you do a lot of listening. But once you start playing and the artist in you kicks in, you do less listening because you’re trying to be original and don’t want to be too overly influenced. I think that’s where my dad was at that point. I’m sure he kept up with what things people were doing, but he was about being an original, so he didn’t buy a lot of records. I didn’t grow up in my house listening to them. The audience has the time to sit back and listen to those kinds of recordings. Artists have to shape their craft and forge their voice.’’

On ignore souvent qu’avant d’adopter le saxophone, Freeman avait d’abord voulu être chanteur. Il précisait: ‘’Having all this music around me did create a desire to be in the industry, but at first I wanted to do it as a singer. In grammar school, I was always in the talent shows and school plays and concerts, and I sang in the choir. I started taking piano lessons when I was five.’’ Très bon à l’école, Freeman avait décroché une bourse pour aller étudier les mathématiques à l’Université Northwestern en 1967. Décrivant son séjour à Northwestern, Freeman avait précisé:

‘’I received a scholarship to Northwestern in mathematics because I was good at math. That’s how I got into Northwestern. My life took a big change when I got there. I joined the marching band. They wanted you to have some kind of athletic endeavor and, surprisingly, the marching band was considered athletic, so I joined. The other interesting thing was I played basketball. In the marching band I played trumpet, and because it was a Big Ten school and I got to do a lot of traveling. We’d march during halftime at football games, so that was fun! Then I decided I was going to go into computer programing as well. They gave you two directions you could go in mathematics: the more practical direction as an engineer or a similar career, or a more theoretical route. I got excited over the theoretical things because that was stuff that ultimately shaped the future of space travel and other things. Mathematics is far ahead of science. Science discovers areas that will become future uses for mathematics, but science is still behind math. I was actually recruited by the space program. They wanted me to come down and join them at Cape Canaveral and work when I graduated. Because I was in programing, IBM tried to recruit me as well, and another company at that time, Data Control. Three companies were romancing me.’’

En plus d’avoir joué de la trompette dans le groupe de jazz de l’université, Freeman s’était joint aux jam sessions de son père au club Betty Lou's de Chicago. Freeman avait commencé à s’intéresser au saxophone ténor durant son année junior à l’université. Passionné par son nouvel instrument, Freeman avait commencé à pratiquer de huit à dix heures par jour jusqu’à ce qu’il soit suffisamment sûr de ses capacités pour occuper une place dans la section des saxophones. Après avoir assuré son poste avec le groupe, Freeman avait abandonné ses études en mathématiques et s’était inscrit au programme de musique. Freeman avait obtenu un diplôme en musique 1972, avec une spécialisation en saxophone, en trompette et en piano. Freeman explique comment il avait décidé d’abandonner les mathématiques en faveur de la musique:

‘’The music bug bit me. And with Fred’s encouragement, I decided to go into the music school. I joined the band on trumpet—a concert band, not the marching band. I wanted to transfer into the School of Music at Northwestern, but I did keep a minor in mathematics. In music education, you had to learn something about each instrument so you could teach it. I was in the woodwind class. I picked the alto saxophone because it was available. One-quarter of the class was playing the alto just to learn about it, and I really liked it. I had to give the horn back at the end of the class, and when I was putting it back in the closet I saw a tenor saxophone in there. It was spring break, so I asked the teacher if I could take the tenor home for the next two weeks and play it. Everyone else in the class was going to Florida, but I decided to stay in Evanston and practice ten to twelve hours every day. The tenor sax just seemed like it was my voice.’’

Déterminer à faire carrière comme saxophoniste, Freeman était allé voir le directeur du groupe de l’université et lui avait demandé la permission de laisser tomber la trompette pour le saxophone. Freeman poursuivait:

‘’After the two weeks I went to the concert band director and said, “I’d like to join the concert band.” His name was Tex Suthers—he was from Texas or something—and looked at me like I was crazy. He said, “You’re already in the band.” I said, “Yeah, but I want to join the band on saxophone.” He looked at me again and said, “How long have you been playing saxophone?” I said, “Two weeks.” He got really angry! He said, “Are you crazy? This is Northwestern University—these people have been playing for years and you think you can come here in two weeks…?!”  And blah, blah, blah. Oh, he just really went off on me. I wasn’t sure if he was angry or maybe he had a little racism in him, but he wasn’t happy. I told him, “You’re right, but the truth is you have to give me an audition. You can say no, but you can’t deny me the audition.”  He agreed and I auditioned. And, to his surprise, I passed the audition. He was shocked, and I joined the band on tenor saxophone. Of course, now I’m in the school and my instrument is saxophone, so I have to join a saxophone quartet. I studied with a teacher named Fred Hemke—great guy. Rico even named a reed after him: the Hemke Reed for soprano. So I began playing classical music on tenor and then one day I went down to see my dad.’’ (à l’époque, Von ne savait pas encore que son fils avait abandonné la trompette pour le saxophone).

C’est durant ses études à Northwestern que Freeman était entré en contact avec l’Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) pour la première fois. Freeman expliquait:

‘’After I graduated, Fred told Adegoke and me about Muhal, so we went down to join the AACM. I started attending the AACM School of Music and studying composition and music with Muhal. I became a part of his big band and met George Lewis, Anthony Braxton, Amina Claudine Meyers, Gerald Donovan, Donald Myrick, Louis Satterfield and Michael Harris, who ultimately became the horn section for Earth, Wind & Fire. I got involved playing blues, fusion with Kestutis Stanciauskas, who led the band Street Dancer. I was playing everything I could. I met Buddy Guy and played with Jesus Wayne, and we opened for Earth, Wind & and Fire. I was having a great time. I was also finishing up my degree at Northwestern in music education and had to choose where to do my student teaching. Willie Pickens was teaching at Phillips High School, so I went down there and became his student. I watched my dad play with Willie and his friends, Jodie Christian and John Young.’’

Dans une autre entrevue, Freeman avait précisé:

‘’It’s interesting, because that’s the time I met Fred Anderson. Adegoke Steve Colson, Neil Tesser and I were in school together at Northwestern. Adegoke and I met Fred, and he sort of took us under his wing there in Evanston. He started a chapter of the AACM up there, and that’s how I met Billy Brimfield, Hamid Drake and Gene Anderson, Fred’s son. We used to hang at Fred’s and he’d play Charlie Parker records. Sometimes we would spend the night and sleep on the floor after listening to music, playing and practicing on the weekends or whenever. The three of us started a band, Life and Death Situation, and we had a drummer named Anthony (Tony) Boykins. Adegoke was on piano and I was playing trumpet, but I also began playing saxophone at that time. I was starting to take trips to the South Side to hang with my dad at the jam sessions. I’d just go down there and listen to Clifford Jordan, Sonny Rollins and John Stubblefield. They would come into the Jazz Showcase, and if they had time they’d hang out with my dad at the jam sessions. I met a lot of people down there and would hang out at the sessions with Jesse Taylor and Jordan, you know, Chicago guys who were in town. That’s when I started really getting into it.’’

Parallèlement à ses études, Freeman avait également joué avec des groupes de blues, de R & B et de pop. Il avait également étudié la composition avec le pianiste d’avant-garde Muhal Richard Abrams. C’est en travaillant avec Abrams que Freeman avait décidé de former ses propres groupes. Freeman ecpliquait:

‘’Muhal encouraged it. I studied composition with Muhal; I also took Composition at Northwestern. I had Music Theory with this guy Carlin–– Neil Tesser was in that class. I always had an interest in writing my own music, even when I was studying piano. I made some attempts––I wrote one song for this girl I had a crush on. I was a romantic! [laughs]. Muhal had a strong influence on me. I studied with him at AACM and I’d also go to his house where he had a piano in the basement. That’s when he introduced me to the music of historical people like James P. Johnson and others. I didn’t know anything about those guys. They were very influential to Muhal, so it was amazing for me to hear them. He did a lot of what Fred did for me—taking me back to Charlie Parker. But Muhal took me back and showed me compositions and how they wrote them. He had his own system of writing, which I adopted. I had music that I wanted to play so I would start my own band. The best way to get your music played was to create your own group and circumstances. It’s always been my way, even when I got to New York.’’

Après avoir décroché son diplôme à Northwestern, Freeman était devenu professeur à l’école de l’AACM. Le rôle de l’école était d’aider les jeunes musiciens à présenter et à faire la promotion de leur propre musique en empruntant des moyens non traditionnels. Tout en enseignant au niveau élémentaire et intermédiaire, Freeman avait poursuivi ses propres études à la Governor's State University où il avait obtenu une maîtrise en composition et en théorie musicale. Freeman se produisait avec le Governor's State Jazz Band dans le cadre de l’Intercollegiate Jazz Festival à South Bend, en Indiana, lorsqu’il avait remporté les prix de meilleur soliste et de meilleur saxophoniste. Sa victoire lui avait également donné la chance de faire une tournée au Brésil avec le groupe gagnant du festival en 1976.

DÉBUTS DE CARRIÈRE

Même s’il avait été exposé au jazz dès son plus jeune âge, Freeman avait amorcé sa carrière dans les clubs de Chicago en accompagnant des artistes de blues comme Memphis Slim et Lucky Carmichael. Freeman avait fait ses débuts sur disque en avril 1975 sur Rising, le second album du groupe Streetdancer, dirigé par le bassiste Kestutis Stanciauskas.

En septembre 1976, Freeman avait publié un premier album comme leader intitulé Morning Prayer. L’album avait été enregistré avec un septet comprenant Freeman au saxophone ténor et soprano, à la flûte et à la flûte de pan, Henry Threadgill au saxophone alto et baryton et à la flûte, Douglas Ewart à la flûte, Muhal Richard Abrams au piano, Cecil McBee à la contrebasse, Steve McCall à la batterie et Ben Montgomery aux percussions. L’album comprenait trois compositions de Freeman: ‘’Morning Prayer’’, ’’Pepe's Samba’’ et ‘’Like The Kind Of Peace It Is.’’

Freeman s’était installé à New York en 1977. Il précisait:

‘’I had a little bit of preparation. After I graduated school I went to a concert/club in Evanston, Illinois where Charles Mingus was playing. I remember seeing Charles and he had Don Pullen in his band, Danny Richmond on drums, Jack Walrath on trumpet and George Adams on saxophone. Mingus was one of the first people my friend had introduced me to so I went there and just wanted to play with Mingus. I went up to Charles and said, “Mr. Mingus, could I please sit in with you?” He said, “Yes, it’s okay with me, but you have to ask George.” I thought, You know. He’s respectful, I was impressed. I went up to George Adams and said, “Mr. Adams, sir. Could I please sit in with you? Mr. Mingus said it’s okay if it’s alright with you.” George said, “Yeah, sure, come on.” I get in there and I’m hoping that Mingus is going to play the blues or something. He pulls out one of his compositions, which seems like it spans five music stands. [laughs] Afterwards, I was happy and thanked George and went to talk to Mingus. He was sitting in his chair and I said, “Thank you, Mr. Mingus. I really appreciate it,” I started to walk away and he said, “Hey. You should come to New York. We play Boomers every Saturday. When you get there, look me up.” That gave me a little bit of courage for the future.’’

Décrivant ses débuts à New York, Freeman avait commenté:

‘’I had great success in New York. I played with Sun Ra, then joined Elvin Jones and recorded with him. I also played with Jack DeJohnette’s Special Edition for five years. I played with McCoy Tyner as well for 5 years. Elvin gave me my first record. I then met Bob Cummings with India Navigation, and then hooked up with Don Pullen again and became part of Don Pullen’s band, Warriors. I later started the band The Leaders, and Don Pullen was the first piano player of that band, along with Don Cherry on trumpet, Arthur Blythe on alto saxophone, Cecil McBee on bass and Famadou Don Moye on drums. I got a chance to work with all my heroes, of the John Coltrane Quartet including Reggie Workman. The only person I didn’t get to work with was Jimmy Garrison because he had already passed away.’’

Freeman avait été très influencé par Jones ainsi que par le pianiste McCoy Tyner. Il précisait:

‘’Elvin was a great influence, and to this day he’s my favorite all-time drummer. The way he plays behind the beat is so relaxed. He never rehearsed, so it was a completely different thing. In Chicago, the guys were always rehearsing. When I got to Elvin I was thinking, Man, we should be rehearsing. I even tried to influence Elvin and asked him when we were going to have rehearsal. He just looked at me and I thought I was going to get fired. [rires] Elvin taught me a lot and shocked me and changed my viewpoint about things, and so did McCoy.’’

À New York, Freeman s’était produit avec de grands noms du jazz comme Elvin Jones, Sun Ra, Jack DeJohnette, le big band de Sam Rivers, Mickey Bass, John Stubblefield, Cecil McBee et Don Pullen. Il avait également dirigé ses propres groupes, ce qui l’avait aidé à développer son propre style.

L’année 1977 avait une année très productive pour Freeman et avait donné lieu à la publication de quatre albums. Il avait d’abord enregistré Chico, un album plutôt ambitieux qui comprenait essentiellement une suite en trois mouvements de vingt-quatre minutes intitulée ‘’Moments’’, un duo avec le contrebassiste Cecil McBee et une improvisation de seize minutes intitulée Merger qui mettait en vedette McBeee, Abrams, McCall et le percussionniste Tito Sampa. En juin de la même année, Freeman avait publié l’album No Time Left avec un quartet qui comprenait Jay Hoggard au vibraphone, Rick Rozie à la basse et Don Moye à la batterie. On retrouvait sur l’album deux autres compositions de longue durée: No Time Left et Uhmla. Le même mois, Freeman avait publié Beyond the Rain, avec un quintet qui incluait Hilton Ruiz au piabo et Elvin Jones à la batterie. Enfin, en septembre 1977, Freeman avait publié ce qui était sans doute un de ses meilleurs albums, Kings of Mali, avec un quintet qui comprenait Hoggard au vibraphone, Anthony Davis au piano, McBee à la contrebasse et Moye à la batterie. Fidèle à son habitude, l’album comprenait quatre longues compositions de Freeman. Poursuivant sur sa lancée, Freeman avait publié l’album The Outside Within en 1978, qui comprenait une longue composition de dix-neuf minutes de McBee intitulée ‘’The Undercurrent.’’ L’album avait été enregistré avec un quartet formé de John Hicks au piano, de McBee à la contrebasse et de Jack De Johnette à la batterie. L’album avait remporté le prix de l’album de l’année décervé par le magazine Stereo Review. Freeman avait enchaîné en octobre de la même année avec Spirit Sensitive, un album de ballades qui avait été enregistré avec un quartet composé de Hicks, McBee et Moye.

L’interaction entre la couleur et la mélodie était le thème de l’album Peaceful Heart Gentle Spirit. Publié en mars 1980, l’album avait été enregistré avec un octet comprenant James Newton à la flûte, Kenny Kirkland au piano, Jay Hoggard au vibraphone, au violoncelle et à la contrebasse. On retrouvait sur l’album d’anciennes compositions de Freeman en plus de ses nouvelles créations Peaceful Heart Gentle Spirit et Nina's Song Dance.

Adoptant une approche néo-traditionnaliste, Freeman avait publié en juin 1980 l’album The Search avec un groupe composé du pianiste Kenny Barron, de McBee à la contrebasse, de Hoggard au vibaphone, de Billy Hart à la batterie, de Nana Vasconcelos aux percussions et de Val Eley au chant. Publié en octobre 1981, l’album Destiny's Dance mettait en vedette le trompettiste Wynton Marsalis et le vibraphoniste Bobby Hutcherson. L’album avait été suivi par Tradition in Transition (septembre 1982), Tangents (en janvier 1984 avec le chanteur Bobby McFerrin, les saxophonistes John Purcell et Steve Coleman) et The Pied Piper (en septembre 1984 avec de nouveau Purcell au saxophone et Elvin Jones à la batterie). En octobre 1987, Freeman avait également publié Lord Riff And Me, un album en quintet mettant en vedette George Cables au piano, McBee à la contrebasse et Billy Hart à la batterie.

Freeman, qui est aussi professeur, avait fait des lectures pour Jazz in the Classroom  de 1980 à 1989. Freeman a aussi donné des cours d’improvisation dans le cadre du programme de jazz et de musique contemporaine de la New School University de New York en 1999.

Il a également siégé sur des comités du National Endowment for the Arts de 1979 à 1982. En juin 1982, Freeman avait également participé à un concert au Lincoln Center avec les The Young Lions, un groupe qui comprenait plusieurs artistes émergents des années 1980 comme Wynton Marsalis, Paquito D'Rivera, Kevin Eubanks, Bobby McFerrin et Anthony Davis. Le groupe avait éventuellement enregistré un album qui comprenait une composition de quatorze minutes de Freeman intitulée "Whatever Happened to the Dream Deferred.’’

En 1989, Freeman avait formé un groupe tout-étoile appelé The Leaders. Le sextet comprenait des musiciens sommités du jazz comme Kirk Lightsey au piano, Lester Bowie à la trompette, Arthur Blythe au saxophone alto, l’incontournable Cecil McBee à la contrebasse et Famadou Don Moye à la batterie et aux percussions. Dans le cadre du concert, Freeman avait joué du saxophone ténor, du saxophone soprano et de la clarinette. Freeman avait enregistré cinq albums avec le groupe: Mudfoot (juin 1986), Out Here Like This (février 1987), Unforeseen Blessings (décembre 1988), Slipping and Sliding (1994) et Spirits Alike (2007).

Toujours en 1989, Freeman avait formé un groupe de jazz-fusion appelé Brainstorm. Symbiose de pop-jazz, de musique du monde et de hip hop, le groupe, qui était composé de Delmar Brown aux claviers et au chant,  de Chris Walker à la basse, de Norman Hedman aux percussions et d’Archie Walker à la batterie, avait enregistré trois albums: The Mystical Dreamer (mai 1989), Sweet Explosion (avril 1990) et Threshold (1993). 

ÉVOLUTION RÉCENTE

Au début des années 1990, Freeman avait participé à plusieurs publicités télévisées, notamment pour les entreprises Burger King et Polaroid.

Dans le cadre du 150e anniversaire de l’invention du saxophone par Adolphe Sax en 1991, Freeman avait également fait partie du groupe Roots, qui regroupait d’autres saxophonistes émérites comme Nathan Davis, Benny Golson, Sam Rivers, Arthur Blythe. La section rythmique était composée de Don Pullen au piano, de Buster Williams à la contrebasse et de Winard Harper à la batterie. Le groupe avait enregistré quatre albums: Salutes the Saxophone, un hommage à John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins et Lester Young (octobre 1991), Stablemates (décembre 1992), Say Something (1995) et For Diz & Bird (2000). Le meilleur album de Freeman dans les années 1990 était probablement Focus (mai 1994), qui avait été enregistré avec un quintet composé de George Cables au piano et d’Arthur Blythe au saxophone alto.

En 1998, Freeman avait également entrepris une carrière de producteur en collaborant à la publication de l’album NightSong d’Arthur Blythe. Il avait aussi travaillé sur des pièces de théâtre avec le dramaturge Ntozake Shange et le danseur de claquettes Savion Glover.

Au début des années 2000, Freeman s’était installé en Europe et avait commencé à expérimenter avec différents musiciens et avec différentes cultures. Comme Freeman l’avait expliqué lui-même: “As much as I’ve travelled and on the road playing with such masters as McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Jack DeJohnette, Sam Rivers, Sun Ra, Dizzy Gillespie and so many jazz greats, as well as leading my own groups including founding “The Leaders” and the group “Roots,” an inner voice was telling me, you need to go to another level both musically and personally. You need to work with other musicians from different cultures and create new avenues of expression.’’

En 2002, Freeman avait été choisi parmi plus de deux cents candidats et était devenu un des vingt artistes à participer à la création d’une installation multimédia à Engine 27, une salle de concert expérimentale de  New York. Durant la même période, Freeman avait également formé le groupe Guataca, un ensemble afro-cubain qui jouait une musique influencée par les rythmes latins, les traditions africaines et le  hip-hop. Le groupe était composé de Hilton Ruiz au piano, de Ruben Rodriguez à la basse, de Yoron Israel à la batterie et de Giovanni Hidalgo aux congas et aux percussions. Le groupe avait publié l’album Oh, By the Way en 2001. Comme on pouvait le lire sur le site officiel de Freeman, "What I did with this album is utilize elements of jazz, R&B, and hip-hop on an Afro-Cuban basis, with a flamenco and middle-eastern flavor.’’

Après avoir passé près de douze ans en Europe, Freeman était retourné à New York anxieux de reprendre sa collaboration avec des musiciens américains. Il expliquait:

‘’I lived in Europe approximately twelve years––went to Greece then moved to Switzerland. Even though I am back in the States and living in New York, I still have my place in Switzerland, but my main focus is being in New York. I moved back because I wanted to bring all of the playing and traveling experiences I’ve had over the years back to the States with me and get back to my roots and incorporate it all together into my playing again. I also miss playing with American musicians. I really wanted to play again with American drummers, bass players, rhythm sections and wanted to reconnect with the blues and some of the other cultural staples music here has given to the world. I felt it was time to come back to my roots again. Since I’ve been back, the changes I’ve noticed in the music scene are good, particularly with the musicians themselves. I’ve noticed there are more females in music that can really play. I’ve also noticed musicians are more inclusive in general—black and white players are playing together much more than they did before I left. I also see so many gifted young players. We’ve lost a lot of great musicians and I just find it unfortunate because some of the young musicians won’t have the opportunity to apprentice from the bandstand like I was able to do with Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Art Blakey and others. I hope I can supply some part of that by being back home.’’

En 2010, Freeman avait publié l’album The Essence of Silence, qui avait été suivi en 2012 d’une collaboration avec le batteur Elvin Jones intitulée Elvin: The Elvin Jones Project. Ce dernier album avait été enregistré avec une section rythmique composée de George Cables au piano, de Lonnie Plaxico à la contrebasse et de Winard Harper à la batterie. Le saxophoniste Joe Lovano avait également participé à deux pièces de l’album. Le groupe interprétait un répertoire souvent associé à Jones. Le batteur avait commencé à collaborer avec Freeman peu après qu’il se soit installé à New York en 1976. En 1978, Jones avait également produit le troisième album de Freeman comme leader, Beyond The Rain sur étiquette Contemporary Records. 

Freeman a enregistré une douzaine d’albums sous son nom au cours de sa carrière, dont Morning Prayer (1976), The Outside Within (1978), Spirit Sensitive (1979), No Time Left (1979), Peaceful Heart Gentle Spirit (1980), Freeman & Freeman (enregistré avec son père Von en 1981), Destiny's Dance (1981), Tradition in Transition (1982) et The Search (1982). Le dernier album de Freeman intitulé Spoken Into Existence (2015) explorait différents styles musicaux du hip hop au funk en passant par le  le bebop, le blues et intégrait même des mélodies d’origine africaine et asiatique. Il expliquait:

“First comes expression, and when you find yourself in need of being able to express more, you develop the technique in order to accomplish that objective.” Très influencé par le saxophoniste ténor Gene Ammons, Freeman avait ajouté: ‘’One of my favorite saxophone players is Gene Ammons. Boy, he can play a slow blues. Everybody could play slow blues in Chicago back then, and so could I, but I had never recorded a slow blues. I thought, Wow. I can’t believe I never did that. I didn’t realize this at first. So, all the other things were kind of personal things I wanted to do and say with Spoken Into Existence. That’s kind of the significance of the title.’’

Musicien polyvalent et très éclectique, Freeman s’est produit et a enregistré dans une grande variété de styles, de la musique latine au jazz traditionnel en passant par le bebop, le hard bop, le free jazz, le R & B, le jazz-fusion et le blues. Comme Freeman l’avait expliqué sur son internet: "My goal is to explore new worlds, and I don't want to be limited by categories. I don't want to be told that I can't go into other categories. The only limitations I place on myself are the limitations I place on my own imagination. And within that realm, there are none." Éternel explorateur, Freeman avait aussi fait plusieurs tournéesen Europe, au Japon, en Australie, au Moyen-Orient et en Extrême-Orient. Toujours prêt à découvrir de nouvelles réalités et à de nouvelles musiques, Freeman avait précisé:

‘’I wanted to see what it was like to live in a place and see how people are when they don’t know you— when you are a part of the landscape. Sometimes we get special treatment, which is nice and I enjoy it, but I wanted to see what it was like if they don’t know you. I also wanted to experience other kinds of music. I went to Spain and played with gypsy musicians and had the opportunity to play with Paco de Lucia, the great Spanish guitarist. I got to play with Andrea Bocelli and went to North Africa, Morocco and Algeria. In Morocco, I played with Ghanaian musicians and also participated in a festival where everybody played with everybody. I played in Hungary with this great Hungarian gypsy musician, Miklos Lukacs, who played this instrument I had never heard of, the cimbalom, which is incredible. I went to the Baltic countries and heard some of the clarinet players and their folk music. I went to Australia and met some aboriginal musicians.’’

Multi-instrumentiste, Freeman jouait à la fois des saxophones ténor et soprano, de la flûte et de la clarinette basse.

Au cours de sa carrière, Freeman avait enregistré et joué avec les plus grands noms du jazz comme Wynton et Branford Marsalis, Hank Jones, Bobby Hutcherson, Charles Mingus, Dizzy Gillespie, Cecil McBee, Lester Bowie, Kirk Lightsey, John Hicks, Mal Waldron, Famadou Don Moye, Arthur Blythe, Billy Hart, Chucho Valdes, Freddie Cole, Joe Henderson, Chaka Khan, Tomasz Stanko, Art Blakey, Celia Cruz, Paquito D'Rivera, Roy Haynes, Kevin Eubanks, Paco de Lucia, Jack DeJohnette, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Bobby McFerrin, son père Von Freeman, Anthony Davis, Sun Ra, Sam Rivers, Don Pullen, Arturo Sandoval, Machito, Celia Cruz, Giovanni Hidalgo, Paulinho DaCosta, Nana Vasconcelos, Ray Barretto, Eddie Palmieri, Paquito D’Rivera et Tito Puente. Il avait aussi accompagné de grandes vedettes de la musique pop comme Earth, Wind & Fire, The Eurythmics, Michael Jackson, Jackie Wilson, The Temptations, The Isley Brothers, The Four Tops et Sting.

Père de cinq filles, Freeman avait composé une chanson pour chacune d’entre elles.

©-2024, tous droits réservés, Les Productions de l’Imaginaire historique.

 SOURCES:

‘’Chico Freeman.’’ All About Jazz, 2023.

‘’Chico Freeman.’’ Wikipedia, 2023.

‘’Chico Freeman Biography.’’ Net Industries, 2023.

‘’Chico Freeman in his own words.’’ Chicago Jazz Magazine, 2023.

SCARUFFI, Piero. ‘’Chico Freeman.’’ Piero Scaruffi, 2006.

[eihyndaye]

The Aussie Nightcreeper

NIGHT ONE

The buzzing of Bush Crickets carried on into midnight hours in (rural town), Australia. Hidden in the dark, their cumulative songs carried throughout the dusty plains and engulfed the lone house at the end of a gravel road. The only source of light in the area beamed through the chipped windows.

 Alicia stood in front of her easel in paint splattered overalls with a mug of steaming hot Milo by her side and half unpacked boxes lining the four walls of her living room. Guitar riffs from a local Australian punk rock band blared through her stereo and helped guide the brush.

Feelings of being energized, relaxed, relieved, and optimistic overwhelmed her at once and flowed into her newest painting – the first of a series she had planned for this next chapter of her life. Her flow state, a state of mind in which all time vanishes, had itself been absent for nearly 6 months. Survival instincts reigned in its place. Tonight was the first time she felt like she was back to being her true self.

A quick glance at her phone revealed that it was approaching one in the morning. Hours had vanished as a vibrant lioness appeared on the canvas. A sigh escaped her, and the corners of her lips turned slightly up. She was satisfied for the night.

Grasping her art supplies and empty mug, she made her way around the corner and into the kitchen to begin cleaning up. The left-over paint washed out of the brushes and spiraled down the drain, swirling the blues and purples together until disappearing into nothingness.

The punk rock playlist she had been listening to for hours came to a deafening end. “Good timing” she thought as she rinsed the last brush and clinking it into a cup to dry. A creaking from the outside the kitchen window above the sink followed immediately after, snapping her out of her mind and back into the moment.

She flicked on the outside light to half peer out the window and intently listened. It was dead silent. Even the Bush Crickets had gone to bed for the night. After scanning the illuminated wooden porch and into the blackness outside, the assumption of it being nothing more than an old house seemed to be the most reasonable explanation. She turned off the light and retired to bed, excited to pick up where she left off the next night.

NIGHT TWO

     A setting sun created a multitude of orange hues in the sky that Alecia felt inspired by. A light breeze blew past her as she closed her eyes to breathe it in. Expanding her lungs fully and holding it in, she felt gratitude to be out of Darwin. As simple as that, she was ready to finish off her day with painting. Feeling inspired by the sky, her porch seemed like the perfect place to set up.

She collected the mug from the previous was sitting in the sink. “Why dirty another dish?” she thought as she gave it another quick rinse and prepared another hot Milo.

Making her made her way into the more put together living space, she collected her supplies but stopped to admire the work she had completed during the day. Previous paintings she had done had hung on the walls, a bookshelf of various ocean life books was neatly pressed in the corner, and string lights traced the edges of the ceiling. This small house was beginning to feel like a home.

The buzzing Bush Crickets filled the space between her and the vibrant sky. Its oranges had now been accompanied by pinks. Instead of continuing with her series from the night before, she wanted to paint the landscape from her porch. Then time melted away.

Halfway through her painting now and intently focused on getting the scattered vegetation just right, a rustling in the distance caught her attention. She peered beyond her easel to wild shrubs, looking intently through the darkening area.

They were still. She thought to herself that it’s nothing more than some wildlife that she isn’t used to and started carrying on with her painting. Trying to get back into her state of mind, she had noticed that it was eerily quiet. The gentle breeze from not that long ago had stopped, and so did the buzzing that filled the air. She tried thinking back to a time where it was this silent but couldn’t recall any.

Goosebumps ran down her spine as she raised her mug up to her lips. The feeling of being watched suddenly overtook her. She glanced past her painting again and noticed a pair of glowing white eyes at the top of the shrub.

Caught off guard and gasping while drinking, she began to cough uncontrollably as it ran down the wrong pipe. Wiping her mouth and the tears that formed in her eyes she quickly turned her attention back to the shrub. The eyes that had been there before were no longer there.

After a short time, the assumption that it must have been a wild dingo seemed like the most reasonable thing. She took a deep breath and refocused on her painting that was now spattered with bits of drink she had coughed up. “Fuck me dead!” she expelled.

     A disappointing sigh escaped her. Shaking her head in disapproval, she carried her supplies inside to retire for the night.

NIGHT THREE

      Water boiled and danced with Alecia in the kitchen. She twirled with a glass of red wine in her hand between cooking her favorite shrimp pasta. Uplifting music filled every corner of the house and her soul.

     It was especially late for dinner, but after her fourth glass wine nothing sounded better. She hazily served herself up a portion and finished the last bit of wine in her glass.

     “I shouldn’t get another, but why not” she thought to herself. Stumbling and giggling, she imagined the floorboards under her were really of a pirate ship traversing in rough seas. Falling into the way along the way into the living room, she lost her footing and gently lost her footing.

“I reeeaaaallllyy shouldn’t get another… but I’m already here” An angel and demon were arguing on her shoulders, but the latter was winning.

A smirk appeared on her face as she was digging through one of the last unpacked boxes, searching for that other bottle of wine. Finally, she found it and pulled it close to her face. The crimson color appealed more to her than the actual taste.

“Saw-vin-non!” she half-heartedly tried pronouncing in a poor French accent. The joints in her knees cracked as she stood.

She started returning to the kitchen when she faced the SCREEN DOOR. The wine slipped from her hands and shattered on the floor, but it may as well have been her jaw. Her vocal cords desperately wanted to scream, but not a sound escaped from her mouth. She tripped back, falling into the easel and hitting her head and causing her to go unconscious.

A tall dark figure with two glowing eyes watched intently on the other side of the glass.

NIGHT SEVEN

Days had passed when she came to, but it felt like weeks to Alecia. At times she faded in and out of consciousness but was locked in a state of paralysis. Even at the most alert times, her mind spun and everything she perceived slowed and twisted in her bloodshot eyes.

A cloaked figure peered at her with those vibrant white eyes behind the corner. The moonlight barely touched his porcelain skin. The shine from those eyes were the last thing she saw as she faded back into blackness.

Chills ran over her body with prickly goose bumps closely following. At one point something wet and spongy dragged up her face, accompanied by a warm iron stench. A low growl whispered in her ear “my queen”.

Brrriiing… brrriiing… brrriiing…

Her eyes widely shot open as she instantly sat upright with a loud gasp. “What’s happening?” she thought. Her gaze darted around her bedroom.

Brrriiing… brrriiing…

She patted around her bed searching for her phone. Quickly tapping under the sheets and pillows with no luck.

Brrriiing…

Her head creaked sideways. “Kitchen” she whispered. Gliding her way through the house, she managed to snatch it up off the counter just in time to answer it before seeing who it was calling.

“Hello?” Her voice was dry and cracked.

“Grammy!” screeched through the phone. It was so loud she thought it was on speaker.

“H-hey there, kiddo.” She spoke up through her hoarse voice as loud as she could.

“Where have you been?” The high-pitched voice shrieked through her phone. “We’ve been trying to get ahold of you so we can visit!” She was half paying attention, half wondering why it was so bright outside. The rays piercing through the kitchen window felt like acid on her skin and soap in her eyes.

Moving out of the way of the light and holding the phone away from her face she replied “Oh… I’ve just been busy”. She crept out of the kitchen and noticed the broken glass of wine and dark crimson everywhere. She tried recollecting but in the moment it was too much. Tiptoeing over the shattered glass and puddle of wine, she continued “Getting everything set up and ready takes time”

“Okay, but when can we come see you?” the overly excited voice turned to two. She cringed with how loud everything was.

“S-s-sooon… darlings. But grammy isn’t feeling well right now. Can I call back?” she gently said, hoping they’d understand to be quieter.

“Sure! But whe-“ she hung up and retreated back into her dark bedroom, burying her body and face under the blankets.

“I’m never drinking again” she thought

NIGHT NINE

A deafening silence flooded her ears awake. She felt incredibly well rested – more so than she had in years. With a deep breath inflating her lungs, she reached for her phone again.

0237 20/04/2023. She sighed and flicked it off. “Wait” she checked again. The 20th of April? She had only been here in her new home for a few days. “What…”

A light creak from outside caught triggered her head to snap to the door. She listened intently but didn’t hear anything else. Instead, she noticed how the room was dark, but a different kind of dark. One she could see through more easily. She sensed that something was off.

Creeping off the bed and seemingly to glide down the hall, she backtracked to her reflection in a large mirror that hung in the hall. Her eyes glowed white and her memory flashed back to her.

The eyes outside the screen door, being carried to bed, that iron stench… She gasped and held her hand up to her mouth. Now noticing the large splotch of crusted blood on her neck. She pulled the collar of her shirt down to reveal it more, exposing marks of teeth and bits of flesh missing.

Her heart started beating rapidly. Another creak caught her attention. This time instead of investigating she retreated to her bedroom, shutting the bedroom door as quietly as she could and pressing her ear up to it.

The screen door slowly dragged open and gentle taps of footsteps crept in shortly after. Her eyes darted around the room for an exit but there was none. She was trapped. The footsteps gently crept closer, causing her to back away from the door and dart behind her bed to hide.

She crouched down as the footsteps got closer and stopped at the door. The only thing she could hear was her heart seemingly beating out of her chest.

“I hear your heart, my queen.”

Her jaw dropped as the door creaked open slowly. The tall figure from her dreams, what she thought was just dreams, was on the other side of the door with glowing white eyes locking with hers.

[daggerzine]

Finnoguns Wake- Stay Young EP  (What’s Your Rupture?)

Don’t ask me about defunct Aussie garage punks Royal Headache. Oh, I loved ‘em, but I never got to see them live so it’s a bit of a sore spot for me as I really wanted to. Vocalist Shogun had another band afterward, Shogun and the Sheets that I thought were…..ahh…just ok.

So here is his new band it looks like they released a single in 2022 that I completely missed the boat on but that’s ok because this new 4-song EP is here and it sounds fantastic. Shogun’s vocals sound top-notch (to quote Ted Knight) while guitarist Finn Berzin, though apparently way younger than the ancient Shogun warrior, is wise beyond his years (and can play some guitar, too!). There’s also a  rhythm section and a keyboard player but it seems to be mainly Shogun and Finn’s show.

On “Blue Skies”  the clouds do indeed disappear while the sky swallows you whole and on “Lovers All” that guitar riff sounds a bit recycled from Royal Headache but who cares if it is. The song is a glorious kick to the shins and I hope they write 10 more just like it.

The other two cuts, “So Nice” and “Strawberry Avalanche” are both strong cuts, too (especially the former which has a real boot and groove to it). Anyway, if you’ve been asleep the past few decades and just woke up now is the time to get reacquainted with rock music and Finnoguns Wake is a perfect new discovery (or if you don’t want to you can go back to sleep).

www.finnogunswake.bandcamp.com

[darlinhutchence]

everything is blue

[louisisalarrie]

Would there need to be “seeding” or “pre-warning” (I’m sorry I’m not sure how to phrase it) of anything relating to that stunt coming to an end? I might be missing the point entirely, but surely it coming out of the blue would be appropriate? the Aussie press are being very unpleasant- and there was me thinking that’s the job of the UK tabloids! I’d love your insight into this- thanks!

Heya!! Hmm… I think there would be, just to make it look less like a stunt? Ya know? And a lot of the GP have probably forgotten about it, they need to remind them and then give the shock headline. If they’d ended it with a paternity test a few months after the kid had been born, I think it could’ve come more out of the blue. But it’s been like 8 years, and we’re the only ones who really have kept up to date with it and believe it’s a stunt. So I mean, let’s have a go at writing some paternity test headlines and compare:

“Wrong Direction: Tomlinson, 32, posts shock announcement that he is in fact not the father of 8 year old son, F”

^ this would be a huge shock right???? Like… the gp would be questioning why the hell it’s taken this long, and why it’s all of a sudden been announced mid tour without any photos of him looking sad or annoyed or frustrated. I sure as hell would be DEVASTATED if that was me, ya know? I loved my “little lad” for 8 years, and all of a sudden, I’m actually not even a biological parent of him? I’d probably cancel my shows. I would be distraught.

However, if you had some pre warning, or seeding as it’s called, it might be a little easier to digest. Let’s have a look at a couple of headlines that could align over a number of weeks that gives Louis consistent PR, and align with the narrative.

“Testy Tomlinson: Louis Tomlinson, of former boy band One Direction, looks annoyed at fans as he lands in Sydney airport.” (Week 1)

“He’s No Harry Styles: Louis Tomlinson looks frustrated on stage, putting on a mediocre performance while he sits down and lets the fans sing for him, in a string of disappointing shows for Australian fans” (Week 3)

“Battle of the Band Member: Tomlinson, of former boy band One Direction, supposedly goes through custody battle of 8 year old child F, while B demands more money. Sources say the case has been going on for weeks, and Tomlinson will take a paternity test as per B’s request” (Week 6)

“Tomlinson in Trouble?: Louis Tomlinson partied hard last night, with leaked video of ex One Direction superstar under the influence of more than just alcohol” (Week 9)

“The Kid is Not My Son: Tomlinson, 32, makes shock announcement that F, 8, is in fact NOT his son. Sources say that ex-fling, B J, lied to the superstar around the time of conception, and used him for fame and fortune” (Week 12)

^ now, the above scenario doesn’t leave much room for Louis to come out, without leaking the stunts, unless he says he’s Bi or him and Harry have never been together prior, when the announcement that they are together happens. SO if they go down the track of not leaking any stunts as of right now, further seeding happens.

“Where Do Broken Hearts Go?: Louis Tomlinson, 32, leans on old friend and former bandmate Harry Styles, 30, after news breaks that he’s not the biological father of son F, as pair share a drink together in an LA club” (Week 15)

^ so this narrative actually shows Harry and Louis reuniting, and works well to move them forward as friends first. And after that, well there are multiple avenues they can take to come out, but the above is what fits the narrative the best, in my opinion. It also gets chatter about a reunion happening, linking the One D boys back together.

Also, the reason I’ve chosen those amount of weeks between articles, is because usually a successful ongoing PR stunt, or PR in general (I’ve worked on album launches etc, which are usually seeded and then hyped up at a typical 3 months before release), keeps his name in the headlines and has a story that people wanna know the ending to.

Also, the headlines are just examples and I never said I was any good at writing headlines hahahaha. Hope this helps with context on why I believe it’ll be a seeded and ongoing process!

[bubblesandgutz]

Every Record I Own - Day 803: The Rolling Stones Some Girls

Did the world really need another Stones record in 1978?

FM radio had been overrun by disco. And even the rock world was gravitating towards harder stuff---The Sex Pistols and The Ramones were the new rabble-rousers. The Stones last album, Black & Blue, was a bit of a bust.

And did the Stones even have it in them to make a record at this point? Keith Richards was facing a possible seven-year jail sentence in Canada for possession of heroin, and only by the intervention of Jimmy Carter was the guitarist permitted to enter the US to undergo rehabilitation in the months before recording. The odds weren't in the band's favor.

Adding to the gamble, Jagger took on the lion's share of writing and aimed his sights at two diametrically opposed musical phenomenons of the time: disco and punk. It could've been a disaster. Instead it yielded an album that's generally considered a return to form for the band. The disco-inspired "Miss You" became a massive hit while the fiery punk influence of songs like "Lies" and "Respectable" showed the world that The Stones could still go hard. And yet the album still sounded like classic Stones.

I wasn't privy to any of this information when my older brother gave me this used copy of Some Girls many years ago. "This was the only Stones album I ever really liked in its entirety," he told me. I recognized "Miss You" and "Beast of Burden" from the radio, but the rest of the album just kinda sounded like that band I'd always written off. Like Let It Bleed, this one sat neglected on my shelf for years until it finally sunk in during the pandemic.

"When The Whip Comes Down" was the song that finally got me. This must've been one of the songs Jagger wrote with the intention of matching the punks' piss-and-vinegar. To my ears, it actually sounds more like AC/DC than The Ramones, but with its two-chord attack it arguably has more in line with punk primitivism than the Aussie's big riff anthems. The song only got better once I paid attention to the lyrics:

Yeah, mama and papa told me / I was crazy to stay / I was gay in New York / Just a fag in LA

It's a song written from the perspective of a gay hustler. Pretty bold for the world's biggest rock band in 1978.

With that song as my entry point, the rest of the album quickly grew on me. "Just My Imagination" is an undeniably solid soul cover. "Some Girls" is a bawdy jam, even if the tongue-in-cheek lyrics are a little tough to deal with in 2024. "Far Away Eyes" scratches my country itch. I don't know why it took me so long to fall for Some Girls charm.

I know people expect an artist's trajectory to be a straight line, but the Stones showed that there could be peaks and valleys. And as was so often the case with the band, the Stones often hit their highest points at their lowest personal moments.

[chic-a-gigot]

La Mode illustrée, no. 38, 18 septembre 1864, Paris. Robes de ville de Melle Rabois, r. Nve. des Pts. Champs, 67. Ville de Paris / Bibliothèque Forney

Description de toilettes:

Robe en reps de soie côtelé, de nuance gris-feutre, faite en forme de robe Princesse ou Isabeau de Bavière. Le bord inférieur de la jupe est garni avec une bande en velours de même nuance que la robe, ayant 3 centimètres de largeur. Au-dessus de cette bande, se trouve une assez large guirlande de feuilles de chêne et de glands, exécutée en chenille de même nuance que.la robe; cette guirlande remonte sur chaque côté, par devant, jusqu'au cou, en diminuant de proportions; elle remonte aussi sur chaque couture réunissant les lés. Devant, cette dernière guirlande remonte sur un espace de 50 centimètres; de côté, sur un espace de 40 centimètres; derrière, sur un espace de 30 centimètres. Manches étroites, ornées de la même guirlande, qui remonte vers le coude.

Robe en taffetas bleu vif, moucheté de noir. Sur le bord inférieur de la jupe, les lés sont séparés sur une hauteur de' 30 centimètres, repliés de chaque côté, et ces sortes de revers sont garnis avec une dentelle noire. L'espace vide qui se trouve entre les revers est rempli par une pointe de même étoffe que la robe, couverte d'un treillage en rubans de velours noir. Corsage plat, montant, à pointe, orné par devant avec un treillage de velours noir. Manches étroites, garnies comme la robe. Chapeau de tulle bleu, mélangé de dentelle noire.

—

Dress in ribbed silk rep, in a felt-grey shade, made in the shape of a Princess or Isabeau of Bavaria dress. The lower edge of the skirt is trimmed with a velvet band of the same shade as the dress, 3 centimeters wide. Above this band is a fairly large garland of oak leaves and acorns, made of chenille of the same shade as the dress; this garland goes up on each side, from the front, to the neck, decreasing in proportion; it also goes up on each seam joining the strips. In front, this last garland goes back over a space of 50 centimeters; sideways, over a space of 40 centimeters; behind, over a space of 30 centimeters. Narrow sleeves, decorated with the same garland, which goes up towards the elbow.

Dress in bright blue taffeta, speckled with black. On the lower edge of the skirt, the strips are separated to a height of 30 centimeters, folded on each side, and these types of lapels are trimmed with black lace. The empty space between the lapels is filled with a point of the same fabric as the dress, covered with a latticework of black velvet ribbons. Flat, high, pointed bodice, decorated on the front with a black velvet trellis. Narrow sleeves, trimmed like the dress. Blue tulle hat, mixed with black lace.

[lesecretdelamaisondubourbon]

Book III/Part X: ⚜️XIV⚜️

“En passant, si l'on considère que le Soleil de France s'éclipse à jamais, que tous les charmes de la nature sont ensevelis avec lui dans ce Tombeau, voyant un objet aussi funeste, tu désireras de mourir pour l'amour de celui qui ne confesse que pour un autre: si ce n'est que tu dis en toi-même pour votre consolation, non ce grand Roi n'est pas mort, il ne repose que sous ce tombeau.*”

When we woke up, there was an eerie silence throughout the palace. Even as our valets prepared to dress us for the day, they did so--in silence. The only sounds that could be heard were the rustling of our clothing being handed between the valets. Philippe and I stood still as we were dressed. We somehow knew this was a solemn day, and we acted beyond our years.

We were dressed in silk gowns with embroidered sleeves. Across our shoulders were our blue sashes. Attached to the end was a pendant in the shape of a star. It would be years before I recognized it as the cross of the Order of the Holy Spirit into which we were born as sons of a king. Once our lace falling bands were tied, our valets placed small ermine-lined royal blue mantles covered with little golden fleurs-de-lis around our shoulders.

When we were ready, my chamber doors were opened for Mother. She wore a simple black gown beneath her own mantle. As everyone bowed to her, she stood before us admiringly.

“You look like a king, Louis,” she said. “Your father would be proud of both of you. Shall we go?”

We nodded as she took our hands and walked between us out of my chamber and down the hall. The nobles lined the halls and bowed to us as we walked toward the main doors. Once outside, the royal carriages awaited us. More servants stood in the Court of Honor and paid obeisance as we passed. As we approached our carriage, I saw Mazarin waiting.

“You’re Majesties,” he began as he bowed. “Your Highness.”

We said nothing. As the footmen helped Philippe and me into the carriage, I noticed Mazarin was whispering something to our mother. Once inside the carriage, we sat down to wait. I watched out the window as Maman and Mazarin smiled at each other before she was helped inside the carriage. I did not think much of it until I was much older. We watched as Mazarin helped Maman into the carriage. She sat down across from us. There was no expression on her face to discern. As the carriage pulled away, we sat in silence.

Unlike Philippe, I did not dare look out the window. The buildings cast short-lived shadows upon the velvet curtains. They were tied back for the subjects to catch a glimpse of me, but I kept myself hidden behind them as best as I could. Maman did not seem to mind the adoration. She occasionally waved to onlookers as we rode through the city. I kept my eyes fixed on the sky--what little I could see of it. Suddenly, the sky disappeared behind a large stone arch—only to reappear moments later. It was then that I got the courage to peek from behind the curtain that had been my shield. We had left the city of Paris behind its ancient walls.

There was little beyond the city walls to see. Montmartre was the peak of the lonely valley we had entered. My childish eyes saw little value in the countryside. They were use to seeing vibrant green topiary of the palace gardens. This landscape was colorless by comparison. On the way to Saint-Denis, we passed several tall stones with crosses on top of them. Some had figures carved into them. Their weary faces innocuously stared at us from somewhere in time. It seemed our journey would never end when I looked out to see the walls of another city in the distance. The closer we got to the gate, the more anxious I became. I was king about to oversee the burial of my predecessor rather than a child burying a father.

As our cortège entered the small village from its southern gate, the only fanfare was the ringing of the church bells. Philippe found them fascinating; I found them cacophonous. Our carriage stopped in front of an ancient stone church. We waited briefly for our carriage door to open after the steps were put down. Mother was helped out first, followed by Philippe. Then it was my turn. I slowly emerged. As two footmen helped me down, I looked to see several clergymen waiting by the enormous doors of the church. Though our walk was short, it was made longer by Maman acknowledging all the spectators bowing to us.

“Your Majesty,” one of the clergy said to me as he bowed. “We are honored and humbled to be in your presence.”

I looked at Maman. She nodded. I nodded back at the man.

“Come, Your Majesty,” he said.

We followed him into the church. I paid little attention to anything except the floor beneath our feet. Beneath the ancient stone arched ceilings we stood before the decorated coffin in which my father lay. I did not understand what was being said when the words were not in French, nor could I put those I understood in context. I watched Philippe for a while. He spent most of his time looking at his shoes. When he caught me looking at him, he would grin at me. I knew he knew less about what was going on than I did.

Once the talking was finished, everyone bowed to us. We were led out of the church and into the light of day. The sun hurt my eyes. As Mother spoke to the clergy, I saw the footmen preparing for our return to Paris. I was tired. When Maman took our hands, we were led back to our carriage. Once inside, I sat down and leaned against the side of the window. After Maman had sat down, the door shut, and our journey began. Philippe lay his head on my lap and quickly fell asleep. Soon after, I drifted to sleep. Until my majority, France was in my mother's hands, even as I bore the burden of its people as King Louis XIV.--The Secret of the House of Bourbon–XIV by Jaynaé Marie Miller. 10-2-2023

*In passing, if we consider that the Sun of France is forever eclipsed, that all the charms of nature are buried with him in this Tomb, seeing such a fatal object, you will desire to die for the love of one who lives only for another: if only you say for your consolation, "No, this great King is not dead, he only rests under this tomb."— 1643, the epitaph of Louis XIII