Denny Freeman Talks To The Bluesletter

Tone Sommer, the Bluesletter's Texas correspondent, filed this interview with Denny Freeman in the June/July 1998 issue.

TONE is the guitar player with the Robert Ealey band in Fort Worth.

This months feature is about another great Austin guitarist, Denny Freeman. He was in the Antones house band for over 17 years and came up with Jimmie Vaughan & Stevie Ray as well as Doyle Bramhall. Freeman is credited along with them as being a pioneer of the authentic Austin blues sound we have come to know today. He just released his third album titled, "A Tone For My Sins" on Dallas Blues Society Records. This is Denny's first solo record in over ten years. Its a great album of all instrumental guitar tunes. Previous CD's include "Blues Cruise" and "Out Of The Blue" on Amazing Records. Do yourself a favour and pick up his latest, "A Tone For My Sins". Great stuff!

TONE Have you toured Australia or NZ yet?

DENNY I've been playing with Taj for about a year, and in that time we haven't been to Australia or NZ. He may have done solo dates without this current band, but I haven't had the pleasure of being there with him. I went there in '93 (I think) on my own tour using a great band from Adelaide, and then I went again 2 years later. I loved Australia and the people I got to know, but I've never been to nz.

TONE Where is your favourite place to tour in Europe?

DENNY That's really hard to say, but Norway was especially nice.

TONE Tell me about your involvement on the Vaughan brothers Family Style record. What was it like in the studio during the recording of that album? Any special thoughts you'd like to mention.

DENNY Actually I didn't play on Family Style but after the record company committed to the album they wanted to hear what Jimmy Vaughan and Stevie had in mind. They had a few ideas (Jimmy & Stevie), but nothing on tape. we all happened to be in Dallas one night, and Jimmy Vaughan called me to see if I could go into the studio with them. he had some ideas, but was "stuck", and needed some help in finishing a song, which turned out to be "Baboom, Mama Said". I made some suggestions, and one was helpful, so we recorded it and they sent it off. it was probably the first completed song the record company heard but it was just a demo with a drum machine, and they re-recorded it for the album. I did play piano on 2 or 3 cuts on "Strange Pleasure" and I'm playing B-3 on one tune on the soon to be released new Jimmy Vaughan album. Like me, Jimmy Vaughan likes to play all the guitar!

TONE How do you get your Tone on guitar? Please tell about your guitar rig, etc.

DENNY I suppose my Tone and rig are intertwined. I like a stock Strat or hollow body Gibson, with an .011 for an e string, and , these days, a reissue Bassman amp for gigs, and a vintage deluxe in the studio. Sometimes I use a Rotovibe or a Wah Wah pedal.

TONE Do you use vintage Strats?

DENNY Unfortunately, I have no vintage Strats any more, but I do have a 60's Barney Kessel. I have 2 re-issue Strats and a re-issue 6 string bass guitar.

TONE How long did you tour with Jimmy Vaughn on the Tilt-A-Whirl release?

DENNY A year and a half or so.

TONE Do you guys have any future projects in the works.

DENNY I no longer play with Jimmy Vaughan, but his new album should be released soon and I think he's about to start a tour. I play with Taj and do my own gigs.

TONE Can you tell us a bit about Austin guitarist Bill Campbell?

DENNY He's among the best. he's back in Austin right now playing at a "Gentleman's Club". I always look forward to hearing him play, but he scares me and everybody else.

TONE How many dates a year are you doing with Taj?

DENNY it's irregular. we haven't done too much this year, but next week we leave for 2 weeks on a Dave Mathews tour, and at the end of June we go to Europe for about 7 weeks, and then we do something into September.

TONE Any plans to tour the Denny Freeman band?

DENNY No tour plans. I just play around L.A. and Austin mostly.

TONE Who do you enjoy listening to, guitarist wise, on the blues scene today?

DENNY Jimmy Vaughan and B.B. King, not many others, I'm sorry to say.

TONE When you were in the Austin band "The Cobras" with Stevie Ray, did you guys do any European touring?

DENNY When Stevie was in the band we mostly just played Texas and Louisiana.

TONE Do you remember the band "Krackerjack"? Do you know any of the players that were in that band?

DENNY Yes I remember, but that band also had many members over the years. Bruce Bowland(sp.), Tommy Shannon, Stevie, Robin Syler, Uncle John, Mike Kindred, etc. they were a very popular rock 'n' roll band in Austin in the 70's.

TONE "A Tone For My Sins" is a great record. Its all over the national blues radio charts. Can we expect another (CD) any time soon?

DENNY If it was up to me you could. I am trying to finish up something new that I'm very excited about. I took my band into a studio here in L.A., where we recorded an album's worth of Monk, Bird, Cannonball Adderly, etc., done in a funky, bluesy way. I'm about ready to shop it. My band is so great. they make this stuff swing hard.

TONE Robert Ealey says Jimmie and Stevie Ray used to come jam at his Blue Bird Nite Club in Fort Worth. Did you jam with Ealey there. Any thoughts about Ealey?

DENNY I've heard about him for a long time, but never had the pleasure of seeing him live.

TONE Denny, thanks for every thing. Say hello to Taj. Hope to see you guys on the road soon.

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