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Freddy Green
Freddy Green (-1987), “Mr. Rhythm”, the steady and sophisticated big band rhythm guitarist of Count Basie Orchestra for nearly 50 years. Famous for his four-to-the-bar beat accompaniment, playing a full block chord on each beat, and with clockwork precision. The pulsating sound of his comping was a defining characteristic of the Count Basie Band.
The successors of Freedie Green in Count Basie Orchestra, was Charlton Johnson (from 1987), and Will Matthews (from 1996).
The Freddy Green comping style
The four-to-the-bar beat - strumming on every beat, often with a different chord on each beat. He played with his thumb to get a warm and rich sound.
It’s still commonly used in jazz when comping over a 12 bar blues.
ALL OF ME - in the Freddy Green comping style
External Links
- The Freddie Green Web Site - is dedicated to the master of the rhythm guitar - Freddie Green - and exists to collect and share information that will aid the big band jazz guitarist in keeping this style alive and well. Musicians, scholars, and Freddie Green fans from around the world continue to collaborate in assembling technical explanations, transcriptions, historical information, and photos for this on-line resource.
- Freddie Green - Mr. Rhythm Remembered by Jim Ferguson at The Freddie Green Web Site