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“Freelon…sang with exquisite musicality and an unerring sense of swing.” – Los Angeles Time

“Freelon continues to grow and deepen as a vocalist…but still with a crystalline, impeccably tuned voice, with often imaginative, percolating, funk-based backing from her combo.” – Daily Variety

Six-time GRAMMY® Award-nominee Nnenna Freelon has earned a well-deserved reputation as a compelling and captivating live performer. Recently, Nnenna Freelon triumphed in two productions:  first, with Opera Superstar Jessye Norman and the Indie phenom band The Roots in composer Laura Karpman’s undertaking of Langston Hughes’ “Ask Your Mama” at The Hollywood Bowl and, second, in SRO-shows at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival with the Duke Ellington-inspired “Dreaming The Duke” with classical star Harolyn Blackwell and pop-jazz-crossover pianist Mike Garson.  The versatile songstress quickly followed that with notable turns with a featured song on TV’s # 1 cable hit Mad Men and with The World Famous Count Basie Orchestra to celebrate their new Mack Avenue recording on which she can be heard. 

Freelon’s seventh Concord Records release, Homefree, is available April 2010! A mix of tunes that Freelon identifies as “feeling at home in your own skin,” Homefree bubbles with the energy and creativeness that are hallmarks of Freelon’s recordings.

With her recent TV appearance on In Performance At The White House to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, TV called again for her voice in the Emmy-winning show “Mad Men.” 

That voice is to be heard on recording once again in 2010: Concord Records will release a new recording by Freelon – her first brand new recording in four years!  In 2009, Freelon made a Special Guest appearance on Mack Avenue’s recording of The Count Basie Orchestra while in 2008 Concord released two Freelon-centered recordings, the first entitled “Better Than Anything: The Quintessential Nnenna Freelon” celebrating her ever-expanding appeal and artistry; and the second recording “The Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary All Stars,” featuring Freelon in spectacular duets and group performances with Terrence Blanchard and James Moody.

At the 43rd annual GRAMMY Awards telecast from Los Angeles, she inspired an enthusiastic standing ovation from 20,000 music-industry insiders and celebrities when she took to the stage. Prior to that stirring appearance, Freelon’s performances for the legendary Julie Andrews at the Society of Singers’ “Ella Awards,” Variety’s The Children’s Charity (as a featured vocalist at the Stephen Sondheim Tribute at Carnegie Hall), Jerry Lewis’ Labor Day Muscular Dystrophy Telethon and at the most famous jazz festivals around the globe have all been rousing successes. No wonder—for anyone who has heard and seen Freelon sing knows she is a skillful interpreter of even the most familiar chestnuts.   This reputation has brought her another command performance: headline spot for ActionAID, the International AIDS fundraiser with Sir Elton John, Andrea Bocelli, and many others attending.

On her Grammy-nominated (for Best Jazz Vocal Performance) release, “Blueprint Of A Lady: Sketches of Billie Holiday” (2005), Freelon paid tribute to the quintessential jazz vocalist Billie Holiday.  As inventive as ever, Freelon turned these Holiday-associated songs and fulfilled Billie Holiday’s message to all artists: “No two people on earth are alike, and it’s got to be that way with music or it isn’t music.”  With her own band, and with Ronald K. Brown & his dance troupe EVIDENCE, Freelon turned this into a multi-media music and dance offering unlike any show previously seen!  Freelon is a winner of both the Billie Holiday Award from the prestigious Academie du Jazz and the Eubie Blake Award from the Cultural Crossroads Center in New York City.

On her fifth Concord Records release, “Live” (2003), Nnenna Freelon brought all of her alluring talents to bear. The result is a beguiling and intimate achievement. Recorded at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, on February 21 and 22, 2003, “Live” marked a decade-long recording career for Freelon, as well as 20-years on the road.

It has certainly been a heady decade for Freelon.  In addition to six GRAMMY nominations, Freelon also made her feature film debut in the Mel Gibson hit, What Women Want, and sang a remake of Sinatra’s classic, “Fly Me To The Moon” for The Visit, starring Billy Dee Williams. She has twice been nominated for the “Lady of Soul” Soul Train Award. What’s more, Freelon has performed and toured with a veritable who’s who in jazz, from Ray Charles and Ellis Marsalis to Al Jarreau and George Benson, among many others.

Born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Freelon received her undergraduate degree from Simmons College in Boston.  Her parents and singing in the church gave the singer her first exposure to the arts – especially to the art of jazz.  Her father’s playing Count Basie recordings and her mother’s active involvement in their church led Freelon to an appreciation of all music and she eventually pursued as a career in jazz.  All the while, Freelon has cherished and held dear her two most important lifetime roles – wife and mother.  Her husband Phil Freelon is an award-winning architect with his North Carolina-based firm The Freelon Group.  As a mother of three, Freelon has led by example – follow your dreams, dedicate yourself, and work hard in all you do.

Freelon explored the roles of vocalist, entertainer, composer, educator, arranger, and producer. “We continue to evolve—artists have hungry minds and hearts, so we’re always working on the next thing—but I felt it was just time to stop, take a breath, and enjoy! I’ve grown a lot, both musically and spiritually, on this journey. Before, many things were ‘first’ experiences, but now I’m going back to some of the same festivals and clubs, and realizing I am happy and content where I am. It’s great to see all the awards and career milestones building up,” she admits, “but it’s even nicer to realize people are coming to the shows and saying, ‘I saw you back in ’95!’ I’ve made a lot of friends on the road.”

An accomplished singer, composer, producer, and arranger (as well as budding actress), Freelon has dedicated herself to educating young people, both musicians and non-musicians.  She toured the United States for four years as the National Spokesperson for Partners In Education. Her master classes and workshops, from “Sound Sculpture” to the ground-breaking “Babysong,” teach adults and children that you too can change the world – even one person at a time – but it takes dedication and perseverance, the substance of Nnenna’s educational activities.  The messages in Nnenna’s activities go far beyond technique.  Her messages reach into the very soul of the person listening, encouraging and motivating them toward constructive change and the creation positive energy.

With her anthem “One Child At A Time” found on her “Soulcall” recording, Freelon took on the task of fund-raising and bringing greater attention to the needs of children in education through mentoring and the arts.  It has become one of the most sought-after songs for its lyrics to its music and has been used by countless organizations including local, regional and national groups such as the United Way.

Earning consistently rave reviews from even the toughest of jazz critics and with her global fan base growing, Freelon is far from done, however. In fact, as she enters a new recording decade, one thing is certain—Nnenna Freelon is a true original!  

Discography:

Better Than Anything: The Quintessential Nnenna Freelon     (2008 Concord)

Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary All Stars     (2008 Concord)

Blueprint Of A Lady: Sketches Of Billie Holiday     (2005 Concord)

LIVE     (2003 Concord)

Tales of Wonder     (2002 Concord)

Soulcall     (2001 Concord)

Maiden Voyage     (1998 Concord)

Shaking Free     (1996 Concord)

Listen     (1994 Columbia)

Heritage     (1993 Columbia)

Nnenna Freelon     (1992 Columbia)

Guest Appearances And Collaborations

Soundtracks:

The Visit

What Women Want (certified GOLD)

Voices Of Concord Jazz: Live At Montreaux

Church: Songs Of Soul & Inspiration  (certified GOLD)

A Great Night In Harlem

NPR Jazz Christmas With Marian McPartland And Friends

A Concord Jazz Christmas 2

 

Collaborations:

Nnenna Freelon, Harolyn Blackwell, and Mike Garson –Dreaming the Duke

2008-

Nnenna Freelon and Evidence –Blueprint of a Lady

2005-

Nancy Wilson, Nnenna Freelon, and Rachael Price

2007-

Nnenna Freelon and The Count Basie Orchestra

T.S. Monk – Monk On Monk

1997

Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra feat. Lew Tabackin – Carnegie Hall Concert

1992

Yusef Lateef – Heart Vision

1992

Quotes and Reviews - Nnenna Freelon

USA Today

"Freelon makes each song...such a personal statement that they all seem fresh and new."

The Hollywood Reporter

"...Nnenna Freelon really stood out...one of the best vocalists in jazz, wrung every emotion out of her numbers..."

Variety

"Nnenna Freelon possesses that rarest of qualities... her phrasing is original, sometimes surprising, and often sweetly eccentric."

Urban Network Magazine

"She is a scattin' ball of fire... "

The New York Times

"For creamy vocal beauty, Nnenna Frelelon’s carefully wrought renditions of "I Remember" and "Children Will Listen" stood out (in the Carnegie Hall Tribute to Stephen Sondheim)."

The Washington Post

Friday, May 28, 2010   NNENNA FREELON "Homefree" Kindred spirits: Dianne Reeves, Sarah Vaughan, Betty Carter Show: Wednesday at the Birchmere. Show starts at 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. http://www.birchmere.com. "Homefree" isn't always as relaxed as its title suggests, but the performances certainly radiate a lived-in quality, and for good reason. Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon is a seasoned pro when it comes to freshening classic pop tunes, and "Homefree" offers many examples of her sure-footed artistry. The performances pose real challenges. For starters, there's a brisk, octave-leaping interpretation of "The Lamp Is Low" that somehow manages to be at once dreamy and daring. Immediately afterward Freelon turns to "West Side Story" for inspiration, imbuing "I Feel Pretty" with elements of swing, blues and drama that personalize the performance. "The Very Thought of You," the album's most spacious and soulful interpretation, follows, warmly enhanced by tenor saxophonist Ira Wiggins. Among the contemporary twists are a rendition of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" that features rapper Pierce Freelon, the singer's 20-year-old son, and "Cell Phone Blues," an original lament that should delight concertgoers for years to come. Yet none of these novel touches is more enjoyable than Freelon's take on "Smile," which is firmly underpinned by bassists Wayne Batchelor and John Brown. Collaborating with longtime colleagues and recruits from her home state of North Carolina, Freelon is in excellent company throughout, obviously inspired by the colorful arrangements fashioned by drummer Kinah Ayah and others. -- Mike Joyce

Mike Joyce

New York Times

Heading into her encore at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola on Tuesday night, Nnenna Freelon gave her audience the illusion of a choice. “Are you guys feeling frisky or sentimental?” she asked. Frisky, came the reply. Well, all right, then: the band struck up a light-funk groove, and Ms. Freelon plunged into one last song, parsing lyrics with syncopation. “Dreeeaam,” she sang, “beside me. In-the-mid-night-glow. The lamp. Is low.” She was working with “The Lamp Is Low,” a songbook standard of murmuring ardor, and the opening track of her new album, “Homefree” (Concord). Here as on the album it suggested a showpiece, scaled for attention-grabbing. Its message was sentimental but its delivery frisky, so that the general mood fell somewhere in between. Ms. Freelon was on firm footing there, projecting clearly, hitting her notes and her mark. A jazz singer of unstinting vivacity, Ms. Freelon draws on some of the sturdier pillars of her craft — Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone, even Lena Horne, to whom she dedicated a brief version of “Stormy Weather” — without resorting to outright emulation. (Her most transparent debt is to Vaughan, in the caprice of her phrasing; she also knows how to borrow the dryly suggestive intonation of Billie Holiday.) She has a strong, supple voice, and she controls it well, often stretching out a note and slowly intensifying its effect, adding tension or vibrato, before clipping it off at the end. She did something like this a few times during Cole Porter’s “I Love You,” ending one phrase on an elongated “me,” but with her lips nearly closed, so that the word buzzed through a clenched jaw. Later she ad-libbed a phrase, “more than you know,” finishing the last syllable with her mouth contorted in a grin, so that it sounded restless and pinched. These were decisions calibrated for drama, effectively. But drama isn’t the same thing as emotional expressiveness, which Ms. Freelon manages only rarely. Her take on “The Very Thought of You” was stately but distant. “You and the Night and the Music” involved a kind of sultry performance art, as Ms. Freelon moved her arms like a voguing hieroglyph. And “Smile,” by Charlie Chaplin, was drained of pathos, reworked into a blithe polyrhythmic romp. Her longtime band — the pianist Brandon McCune, the bassist Wayne Batchelor, the drummer Adonis Rose and the percussionist Beverly Botsford — backed her with crisp precision, giving each arrangement small but gratifying twists. What could they really accomplish, though, with “Cell Phone Blues,” an original full of corny double-entendre (“I’m a rollover kind of mama,” “Free on nights and weekends”)? At least that tune was frisky. “America the Beautiful,” reconceived as a modal dirge, and “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” featuring a walk-on by Ms. Freelon’s son, the rapper Pierce Freelon, came back-to-back in the final stretch, as on the album. They were momentum-killers, weighed down by their earnest sense of purpose. Had Ms. Freelon then included “noble” among her possible options, the crowd would have known what to do.

Nate Chinen

Photos - Nnenna Freelon

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Outreach Programs- Nnenna Freelon

Classroom

In the classroom: Designed for a maximum of 25 students in a classroom setting.

Performance

Educational Performances: typically designed for 100 or more students in small or large auditorium setting.

Speaking Engagement

Special presentation: Speaking Engagements and Lectures

Residency

Residency: Single to multi-day residencies

Special Projects - Nnenna Freelon

More Info About Nnenna Freelon

Awards - Nnenna Freelon

2010 Women of Substance Award

Bennett College for Women

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2007 Spirit of Hayti Award

For significant contribution to the arts and eduction.

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2005 Grammy Award Nominee

Best Jazz Vocal Performance - "Blueprint of a Lady"

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2004 Women of Note

Raleigh, NC

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2003 Outstanding Artistry

"Airmen of Note", United States Air Force Band

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2000 Grammy Award Nominee

Best Jazz Vocal Performance - "Soulcall"

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2000 Grammy Award Nominee

Best Jazz Arrangement with Accompanying Vocal - "Soulcall"

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2001 Trailblazer Award

International Women in Jazz

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2001 California Partner's in Education Award

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2001 Walter J. Norflett Artist of the Year

Durham Council for the Arts

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2001 Artist Award

National Inventor's Hall of Fame

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1998 Grammy Award Nominee

Best Jazz Vocal Performance - "Maiden Voyage"

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1996 Lady of Soul Nominee

Soul Train Awards

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1999 Honoray Doctor of Music

Elizabeth City State University

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1996 Grammy Award Nominee

Best Jazz Vocal Performance - "Shaking Free"

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1996 Lady of Soul Nominee

Soul Train Awards

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1993 Best Jazz Vocal

Indie Award

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1993 Billie Holiday Award

Academie du Jazz (France)

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1993 Eubie Black Award

Culturual Crossroads Center

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1992 Grammy Award Nominee

Best Jazz Arrangement with Accompanying Vocal - "Nnenna Freelon"

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