If the name Denny Freeman means nothing to you, you must not play guitar. Denny Freeman was the guitarists' guitarist. Freeman had it all, tone, taste, versatility and the killer thing, he made it all look so easy and relaxed. I once told a guitarist that his playing reminded me of Denny Freeman and he damn near cried saying "...that is the best compliment anyone has ever given me...". From Taj Mahal to Bob Dylan, the greats got in line to ask Freeman to play in their band. Dylan loved his playing so much he kept him for 4 years. In fact, that is Freeman you hear on "Modern Times" the album that sparked one of Dylan's many come backs.
Born in Florida and grew up in Dallas, Freeman was one of a handful of Dallas blues players who blazed the trail to Austin. Just how good was Freeman? Let me put it this way, Freeman was the lead guitarist in a band called the Cobras. The other guitarist in the band was a young kid named Stevie Ray Vaughn.
While Freeman made a career of making other people sound great, in 1997 he penned the greatest album title in the history of music: "A Tone For My Sins". Don't get it? Ask a musician.
As God is my witness , one of the first things I was going to do was take a trip to Austin to see 4 of my favorite musicians/singers: Lavelle |White, W.C. Clark, Alejandro Escovedo and Denny Freeman. Sadly, I have one less reason to go to Austin. Celebrate the talent of Denny Freeman by listening to one of my favorite guitar instrumentals of all time, "It's a Love Thing" from the before mentioned album, "A Tone for My Sins". The talent in Heaven's House Band just got raised to a whole 'nuther level! Rest in Peace Brother Denny.
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