Bill Freed

We have two slightly different performance formats. Our basic group, JazWorks, performs instrumental jazz music for concerts, dinners, and other events. Our basic group consists of guitar, upright bass, and trumpet, with or without drums. We have a large repertoire, and can either perform recognizable tunes such as Girl From Ipanema, Bye Bye Blackbird, and Shadow of Your Smile; or, for the true jazz fan, songs from the straight-ahead jazz repertoire of artists such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Horace Silver, and Charlie Parker. A few examples of songs from our jazz repertoire are listed in the songlist; but we can perform almost any tune, especially if requested in advance.

Often we find that clients would like a mixture of jazz and other material for dancing, such as for parties and weddings, which we also enjoy playing. So, we have an additional repertoire of R&B, funk, latin, swing dancing, and reggae songs (numbers 1 to 37 in the song list). Vocals are included for many of the tunes, as well as instrumental tunes such as Sofrito (salsa) and Cissy Strut (funk). Often we play jazz for one or two sets, followed by dance music for another one or two sets. For this format, our group is called “Brilliant Corners”, and includes drums, and sometimes a second horn player, usually a second trumpet. We work with various musicians, and the music samples indicate several of the musicians that we regularly perform with. For events such as weddings we can also add a female vocalist, for example Sara Coleman (sample number 7).

Finally, if you would like quiet background music, or for those who have hired me to play solo guitar in the past, I am still available to play solo jazz guitar, represented by sample number 9.

• Brick House - Commodores
• Bring it on home to me - Sam Cooke, Eddie Floyd
• Celebration - Kool and the Gang
• Cupid Shuffle - Cupid
• Do it Again - Steely Dan
• Do it til you’re satisfied - BT Express
• Evil Ways - Santana, Willie Bobo
• Groove is in the Heart - Dee Lite
• Guantanamera - various, traditional
• Hi Heel Sneakers - Tommy Tucker
• I put a spell on you - Screamin Jay Hawkins, Nina Simone
• I’m on Fire - Bruce Springsteen
• Kansas City - Wilbur Harrison
• La Murga - Willie Colon
• Margueritaville - Jimmy Buffett
• Midnight Special - traditional
• Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett
• No Woman No Cry - Bob Marley
• On Broadway - The Drifters, Geroge Benson
• Oye Como Va - Tito Puente, Santana
• Pancho and Lefty - Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard
• P-Funk - P-Funk
• Play that Funky Music - Wild Cherry
• Poke Salad Annie - Tony Joe White
• Rainy Night in Georgia - Brooke Benton, Tony Joe White
• Ring My Bell - Anita Ward
• Save the last dance for me - The Drifters
• Shakey Ground - Etta James
• Six Days on the Road - Dave Dudley, Taj Majal
• Soul Shakedown Party - Bob Marley
• Spanish Grease - Willie Bobo
• Summertime - George Gershwin
• Thank You for Letting me be myself - Sly and the Family Stone
• Them Belly Full - Bob Marley
• Vamos a Bailar - Gipsy Kings
• Waiting in Vain - Bob Marley
• Mercy, Mercy, Mercy - Joe Zawinul
• Stomping at the Savoy - Benny Goodman
• Watermelon Man - Herbie Hancock, Mongo Santamaria
• Wave - Antonio Carlos Jobim
• Work Song - Nat Adderly
• Well You Needn’t - Thelonious Monk
• Night And Day - Cole Porter
• Misty - Errol Gardner
• Sidewinder - Lee Morgan
• One Note Samba - Antonio Carlos Jobim
• Out Of Nowhere - Johnny Green
• A Night In Tunisia - Dizzy Gillespie
• Autumn Leaves - Johnny Mercer
• Birk’s Works - Dizzy Gillespie
• Black Orpheus - Luis Bonfa
• Bye Bye Blackbird - Ray Henderson, Miles Davis
• It Don't Mean a Thing - Duke Ellington
• Meditation - Antonio Carlos Jobim
• Girl From Ipanema - Antonio Carlos Jobim
• Song for My Father - Horace Silver
• Sofrito - Mongo Santamaria
• Road Song - Wes Montgomery
• Up Jumped Spring - Freddie Hubbard
• Softly as in a Morning Sunrise - Oscar Hammerstein and Sigmund Romberg
• Over the Rainbow - Harold Arlen
• Coming Home - Mel Tourme
• Cantelope Island - Herbie Hancock
• Caravan - Juan Tizol, Duke Ellington
• Cissy Strut - The Meters
• Blue Train - John Coltrane
• In Walked Bud - Thelonious Monk
• Treat her Right - Roy Head
• and many others!

Anniversaries, Apres Ski Parties, Awards Nights, Banquets, Bar Mitzvahs, Bat Mitzvahs, Birthday Parties, Children's Birthday Parties, Casinos, Christenings, Christmas Parties, Church Services, Clubs, Coffee Shops, Community Events, Conventions, Corporate Functions, Country Clubs, Cruise Ships, Dinner Dances, Festivals, Fund Raisers, Funerals, Graduation Parties, Grand Openings, Hotels, Picnic, Private Parties, Resorts, Restaurants, Reunions, Showers, Weddings

• Bill Freed and his band did a great job for our holiday reception. They were professional, accommodating and provided a perfect atmosphere for our reception. I strongly recommend Bill and his band. -- Taylor G, Washington, DC, 12/6/2007
• We utilized both Bill Freed's jazz group and rock band Cover Story for our outdoor wedding in October 2007. Bill was excellent to work with in planning the event, providing feedback and asking the right questions to make sure we had the event we wanted. The group learned a new song for our first dance and played it exceptionally well. They were professional, talented and great to work with. Bill is a star on the the guitar, the female jazz vocalist was exceptional. All in all, a group deserving of a top rating! We definitely recommend them for weddings and other events for clients who care about the quality of music and don't want "just another wedding band." -- Patricia M, Paris, VA, 10/7/2007
• The band is fabulous! They interacted with the whole party. The songs were great. I highly recommend them. Feel free to email me at lolatbowedding@yahoo.com -- Leonora G, Cockeysville, MD, 9/15/2007
• He was able to set up quickly and performed beautifully. The audience was full of professionals and supporters. He played with ease and the music was so beautiful it seemed effortless. We received many complements from all the attendees. We will definitely use you again in the future for another fundraiser or event. We also have no problem recommending him to others. As a Nonprofit Organization, I feel that we were very fortunate to have such a kind, and generous professional who was very accommodating for our guest. -- Charmeda B, Baltimore, MD, 5/2/2006
• Excellent entertainment for my event! He listened about what I wanted to accomplish, and he delivered it. My guests and I enjoyed his music. To top it off, he is very nice to work with. Sara Rubida Arlington, VA -- Sara R, Arlington, VA, 4/30/2006
• Very talented and quite a lot of fun to chat with after the fact! -- Lauren W, Washington, DC, 2/15/2006
• All our 35 guests raved about the music Bill provided! His style of jazz guitar was the perfect background for our 25th anniversary celebration. He was accomodating and understood the sound we were looking for. We will definitely look to hire him again, as will quite a few of our guests! Thanks, Bill--you made the party extra elegant! Jerry and Barbara -- Barbara F, Harwood, MD, 7/16/2005
• Bill and his band were great! He went above and beyond to cater to our specific needs with very little description or direction on our end. He actually went and researched the type of music we were looking for to be sure to nail down the sound! He even let us borrow some of his other personal equipment AND brought it over himself before the event. The entire group was extremely friendly and easy to work with. I would definetly reccomend him for any kind of event; he will put together a program for anything you are looking for and do it well. -- Janessa S, Baltimore, MD, 3/29/2007

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