Great Freedom

The New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers originated back in January 2007 when musician brothers Luther & Cody Dickinson sat down for a guitar jam with ex-Squirrel Nut Zippers leader Jimbo Mathus along with Blues Greats Charlie Musselwhite, Alvin Youngblood Hart and the late Memphis pianist, producer and all around musical stylist Jim Dickinson gathered for a recording under the group name of the New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers.

The 1977 edition of what Japanese producers billed "The Great Jazz Trio" features pianist Hank Jones, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams performing pretty modern material. There is one original apiece from each of the musicians on this out-of-print LP, along with "Freedom Jazz Dance," "Mr. P.C.," "All Blues" and "A Child Is Born." Jones, a very flexible pianist able to excel in settings ranging from Fats Waller tributes to post-bop, keeps up with his younger sidemen and comes up with consistently fresh statements full of subtle surprises.

A spin-off of Procol Harum, Freedom was formed by guitarist Ray Royer and drummer Bobby Harrison. Both of them were in Procol Harum's lineup at the outset for their debut "A Whiter Shade of Pale" single, but were ousted almost immediately when Procol singer, Gary Brooker, enlisted his former bandmates from the Paramounts, Robin Trower and Barry Wilson, as replacements.
Freedom's final outing in 1972, Is More Than a Word, is a study in contrasts. It still rocks hard as all get out, á la Humble Pie, but it also points in an interesting direction in places: toward more textured and acoustic-flavored material that echoes country music, thanks to an electric violin - uncredited - on the opening track "Together." Elsewhere, there is scathing blues-rock in the funky, raucous, rave-up vein on cuts…