Photo by Ana Flores
With spirited soulful swing rooted in Afro-Cuban clave, Freeman creates a distinct brand of mambo and salsa infused jazz. Dan McClaneghan of Allaboutjazz described him as "masterful" and ranked him among other top names of the instrument. His performances have taken him from North America and Europe to the Azores, Caribbean, and South America. Freeman's recordings of original music have received national and international attention with outstanding reviews, radio airplay charting on jazz, contemporary jazz, and World Music radio, and airing on nationally syndicated radio shows (Latin Perspective with Tony Vasquez, Jazz after Hours with Jim Wilke, The Jazz Show with David Sanborn, WOR radio network with Joey Reynolds, Music Choice, and United Airlines).
Freeman is a Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Creative Engagement grant recipient for: Hell's Kitchen Vibe-Centric, Boricua Blues, Hell’s Kitchen Soul Sauce, and Latin Music In Hell’s Kitchen. Performances included guest legends Ray Mantilla and Jose Mangual Jr. performing at the Times Center, Highline, Pier 84, Bella Abzug Park, Riverbank State Park, and Dimenna Center in NYC. He produced two Band Together benefit concerts: one for musicians affected by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria with proceeds going to the Jazz Foundation of America and the other in response to Hurricane Katrina, benefitting the Tipitinas Foundation and New Orleans–area musicians.
Commissioned work includes a decade-long series of compositions and arrangements for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Percussion Scholarship Program. In 2014 he was commissioned by the late drummer/educator Ed Uribe to write arrangements for China's national percussion curriculum that were performed by members of the Shanghai Symphony at Shanghai Symphony Hall.
Performance highlights for Freeman as a leader include; the Dimenna Center, NYC; White Plains Jazz Festival, NY; the Fox Jazz Festival and Riverfront Jazz Festival, WI; the Trinidad & Tobago Steelpan & Jazz Festival; Festival Internacional, Terciera, Azores; Central Park’s Harlem Meer concert series, NY; performing for Flood Relief in Des Moines, IA; Jazz on the Green in Omaha, NE; the Berks, Rehoboth Beach, Hennessy Greenwich Village, and JVC Newport (at Saratoga) jazz festivals; the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) convention, and an extensive tour of Portugal, cosponsored by the Fulbright Foundation and the American Embassy (USIA), where he received the Medal of the City of Guarda.
Mike Freeman: Newport Jazz Fest Saratoga NY , City Medal of Guarda Portugal, Times Center NYC
Freeman is also known for his work and recordings with several acclaimed groups. The vibes behind the name, he worked extensively with legendary percussionist Ray Mantilla’s Good Vibrations Band (touring much of Italy, becoming the group's music director). Good Vibrations, Savant Records, was Jazzweek's top Latinjazz recording on radio in 2006. Ray's Tres Amigos included Freeman and Cucho Martinez. Freeman was also a regular guest with Space Station and is featured on Ray’s final two recordings High Voltage, and Rebirth both on Savant. He was part of Lucho Cueto’s all-star group Black Sugar. Their recording Estamos Azucar led to blockbuster performances for thousands at the Toros Y Salsa Festival in Dax, France, and at the Festival Internacional de Salsa in Lima, Peru. For over twenty years he was a mainstay of Jose Mangual Jr.’s Son Boricua featuring the late Jimmy Sabater (an architect of Boogaloo) that performed for large gatherings at salsa congresses in New York, L.A., and Atlanta. With Mangual, Freeman recorded Fabulosos 70's and Sabor y Swing. His vibe work can also be heard with Mark Holen’s eclectic Latin blues band Zambomba on Streching The Truth and Three Gold Coins. In the 1990s he created the book for, and performed with, Jorge Jimenez’s salsa group Timba Vibes. This was followed by a twenty-year association with salsa singer Julio Salgado culminating with the recording "Mis Pasos". He performed with the Spanish Harlem Orchestra (directed by Oscar Hernandez) at Madison Square Garden and with Willie Villegas's Joe Cuba Sextet for New Jersey's salsa congress, both with legendary sonero Cheo Feliciano.
with Ray Mantilla at Louis Armstrong House, with Cheo Feliciano, with Son Boricua
Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Mike Freeman started learning drums at age five and began playing professionally at age thirteen. At twelve, he began playing the vibraphone, and by fifteen, he was a percussionist for the Omaha Symphony under conductor Thomas Briccetti. During his last year of high school, he began traveling to Chicago to study with renowned percussionist and veteran studio musician Bobby Christian. He graduated DePaul University with a Bachelor of Music in composition with high honors in 1981. In New York, where he’s lived and worked since, he studied with composer/arranger Hale Rood (who wrote for Louie Bellson).
Family music: Freeman’s grandfather was a drummer and leader of Ron Freeman and the Melody Masters, a popular band that was heard on the radio in the Midwest. Neal Hefti played in his band before becoming famous in California. Freeman’s paternal grandmother sang and played the organ and marimba. His maternal grandmother was a talented piano player in her youth. His father, Harry Freeman, worked his way through college playing the saxophone and clarinet.
Ron Freeman Drums, Ethel Freeman Organ, Harry Freeman Clarinet
Based in New York City since 1981
Vibraphonist ✦ Recording Artist/Producer ✦ Commissioned Composer ✦ Arts Advocate
Eight Recordings as a leader with seventy original compositions that charted on jazz, contemporary jazz and world music radio, aired on nationally syndicated radio programs (Latin Perspective with Tony Vasquez, Jazz after Hours with Jim Wilke, The Jazz Show with David Sanborn, Joey Reynolds WOR radio network, Music Choice, United Airlines), and received outstanding reviews.
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Creative Engagement Grant Recipient 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2025 producing the concert series: Vibe-Centric, Boricua Blues, Hell's Kitchen Soul Sauce, and Latin Music In Hell’s Kitchen with guest legends Ray Mantilla and Jose Mangual Jr. performing at the Times Center, the Highliine, Pier 84, and Riverbank State Park in NYC.
Produced two Band Together benefit concerts. One for musicians affected by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria (Puerto Rico in particular) with proceeds going to the Jazz Foundation of America and the other after Hurricane Katrina, benefitting the Tipitinas Foundation and New Orleans–area musicians.
Commissioned arrangements and compositions for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Percussion Scholarship Program (over tens years) and a national percussion curriculum for China, 2014.
Concerts as leader include:• Dimenna Center, NYC• Bella Abzug Park, NYC• White Plains Jazz Festival, NY• Riverbank State Park, NYC• Pier 84, NYC• Highline, NYC• Times Center, NYC• Fox Jazz Festival, WI• Riverfront Jazz Festival, WI• Jazz Forum Arts, Dobbs Ferry, NY• Harlem Meer, Central Park, NYC• Trinidad & Tobago Steelpan & Jazz Festival • Festival Internacional, Terceira, Azores• Jazz On The Green, Omaha, NE• First Night Celebrations (various cities) • IAJE International Convention, Atlanta, GA • Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival, DE• Berks Jazz Festival, PA• JVC Newport Jazz Festival, Saratoga, NY • Hennessy Greenwich Village Jazz Festival • NJ State Aquarium’s Jazzin the Deep Festival • Penn Sate University tour • Toured Portugal on grants from the Fulbright Foundation and the American Embassy (USIA)
Groups:
• Mike Freeman ZonaVibe
• Mike Freeman Vibe Caliente
• Mike Freeman & Spellbound
Associated groups:
• Metropolitan Jazz Octet
• Ray Mantilla (18 years) Good Vibrations Band, Tres Amigos, Space Station
• Lucho Cueto’s (Allstar) Black Sugar
• Son Boricua (20 years) with Jose Mangual Jr. and the late Jimmy Sabater
• Boricua Blues Jose Mangual Jr.
• Mark Holen’s Zambomba
• Julio Salgado (20 Years)
• Willie Villegas Joe Cuba Sextet
• Timba Vibes
Performed with the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, directed by Oscar Hernandez at Madison Square Garden, and Willie Villegas Joe Cuba Sextet at NJ Salsa Congress both with legendary sonero Cheo Feliciano; Toros y Salsa Festival, Dax, France and Chim Pum Festival, Lima, Peru with Black Sugar; Latin Legends Concert at Aaron Davis Hall with Louis Bauzó; Cuban Fantasy at Weill Hall with Kathleen Landis
Studio sessions for Kirsten Thien, The Manhattan Transfer "Swing", Atlantic Records; Don Sebesky Foxwoods, "The Wonder of it All" featuring John Pizzarelli jr; Broadway stars Stephanie Pope "Now’s the Time to Fall in Love", and Capathia Jenkins with Lou Rosen "South Side Stories"; and Hale Rood (arranger for Louis Bellson), among others
Artist/Clinician Balter/Vic Firth Mallets and formerly Musser Instrument Company
Clinics/Masterclasses/Residencies include:
• Florida International University
• New York University
• Berklee College of Music, MA
• Ithaca College, NY
If you'd like to support Mike Freeman's music and future recordings you can do so using the button below:
PayPal MeSign up for our email list, it's used sparingly! Mike Freeman Mail List
Connect with Mike Freeman Social Media