Mishawaka, Indiana’s Center Street Blues Café generally featured blues three nights a week, including Friday and Saturday evenings, plus on Wednesdays.  As you could expect, the Wednesday night shows were usually less attended events due to being in the middle of the work week, and because many folks saved their dollars to be able to go out on the weekends and do it up right.  Nevertheless, the club presented a lofty array of blues talent on Wednesday evenings, and those of us who were inspired to go out midweek relished in the blues artists who performed in our town for the smaller weekday audiences.

It wasn’t necessarily that the level of blues talent flowing through the club on Wednesdays was second-tier in quality.  This writer can remember Eddie Kirkland, Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials, and Jimmy Johnson all playing thrilling Wednesday evening shows.  But also, burgeoning blues talent, or perhaps those blues artists that could be classified as somewhat on the fringes of the genre, but who were still eminently talented, also took the club’s stage to present their brand of music.  As the club was only 90 miles east of Chicago and one time zone ahead, it was an easy one-and-one-half one-way trip to the club, with the added benefit of the blues artists getting the benefit of the time difference when returning home.

One of the bluesmen who played a memorable Wednesday night show at the club was Steve Freund.  By the time of his performance at the Center Street Blues Café, he had already released two recordings, the 1985 collection entitled Set Me Free, an outing with blues singer Gloria Hardiman on the Razor Records imprint, and his 1987 effort entitled Romance Without Finance, a set on the Red Beans Record label.  On the strength of these two releases, and Freund’s to-date blues history, the assembled Wednesday night crowd was treated to first-rate blues by someone who obviously had it in their blood.  We just didn’t know a whole lot about Freund, however.

Steve Freund was born in late July 20, 1952 in Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn, New York City, New York, into what is said to be a musical home.  In fact, his mother was said to be adept at playing classical style piano.  Initially Freund took up the bass guitar as his first instrument around the age of 16.  But in 1976 when Freund and a pal of his named Paul Cooper made their way to Chicago to witness the music they both embraced so tightly, the blues, his destiny would be forever changed.  Much like the story of the famed and departed blues piano giant Barrelhouse Chuck who drove 24 hours straight from his home to Chicago to hear his blues hero Sunnyland Slim, play the blues, Freund trip to Chicago with Paul Cooper was similar, as they too drove non-stop in a quest to hear the music that struck a chord deep within him. 

But this was not necessarily an off-the-wall idea, as a meeting with Sunnyland Slim (interesting how he pops-up in so many Chicago blues stories) after a New York show resulted in Slim bidding Freund to visit him in Chicago.  The story goes that once Freund and his buddy got to Chicago, they immediately made a beeline to the 1815 club on Chicago’s west side (a venue then owned by Howlin’ Wolf’s saxophone player and bandleader Eddie Shaw), where they were well-received by Shaw and the entirety of Shaw’s Wolf Gang band (Howlin’ Wolf’s last band before his death).

Freund and Cooper are said to have then made their way northward in Chicago to N. Lincoln Ave. to the celebrated venue Elsewhere, yet another of the maze of Chicago blues joints that peppered the city.  Homesick James had the gig at the club that evening, and much to the amazement of Freund, he was invited to perform with James.  It proved to be the realization of a lifelong yearning for Freund to play the blues in Chicago with a legendary performer such as James, and it led to his further indoctrination into the local blues scene as he was able to also perform and sit in with many other of the city’s renowned blues artists, a roster that includes but is not limited to guitarist, bassist, and vocalist Floyd Jones, guitarist Hubert Sumlin, guitarist and vocalist Eddie Taylor, harmonica player and vocalist Big John Wrencher, guitarist, bassist, and vocalist Lee Jackson, harmonicist Big Walter Horton, pianist and vocalist Willie Mabon, and probably most important of all, his original inspiration for coming to Chicago, piano patriarch Sunnyland Slim.

Slim saw in Freund his musical potential, and actually hired him for a full.  This led to Freund making yet another decision that would forever alter his life.  After making his way back to New York, after some introspection, then firm in his resolve, he decided to leave the New York and return to Chicago, becoming a mainstay in Slim’s band for an amazing almost 20-year run.

But during this almost 20 years, Freund was not exclusively tied to Slim, as doors were opened for him to perform, either on guitar or bass, for the cream of Chicago’s blues hierarchy, including the aforementioned Floyd Jones, Big Walter Horton, singer Koko Taylor, and Luther Allison, again, among many others.

It was also during Freund’s still-early period in Chicago that he began to record, and a band that he was in named Tin Pan Alley that included harmonica player Billy Branch, drummer Twist Turner, and guitarist Pete Crawford released a 45rpm single on the small Mirage label.  In 1985, Razor Records released a collection entitled Set Me Free (eventually rereleased by Delmark Records), an outing with blues singer Gloria Hardiman, while only four years later his first collection under his own name entitled Romance Without Finance saw the light of day.

But these recordings including his name were not the only involvement Freund had going during this time.  He was featured on an album by the Sunnyland Slim Blues Band on the Red Bean Records label, plus a collection on a European imprint by Sunnyland Slim’s band less Slim, an aggregation named Big Four, entitled Going To Chicago (recorded in Germany).  As a harbinger of things to come for Freund, he was also involved with Delmark Records on outings for blues singers Barkin’ Bill Smith and Bonnie Lee entitled Gotcha! (1994) and Sweetheart Of The Blues (1995), respectively.  But this wasn’t the only recording activity that Freund was taking part in for Delmark Records, as he appeared on the 1991 release Bluebird Blues with Dave Specter and Ronnie Earl.  An additional Delmark Records outing from this time frame on which Freund was involved included harmonica player and vocalist Al Miller’s 1995 collection entitled Wild Cards.

Also during this busy stage of Freund’s Chicago existence, in addition to his performance work and studio projects, he also offered his musical intuitions in production roles for a host of bluesmen for various labels including guitarist and vocalist Magic Slim, harmonicist and vocalist Snooky Pryor, pianist and vocalist Henry Gray, Mr. B, a blues and boogie woogie piano artist (Freund appears n the collection), vocalist B.B. Odom, and Mark Hummel, a harmonica player and vocalist.  Freund also played on certain of these outings.  And again, this list is not complete.

And again, as if this weren’t enough, due to Freund’s broad blues and general music background, he also taught courses at Columbia College in Chicago for a two-year period.

But after roughly 20 years in Chicago, albeit in-demand and very busy, the often very low pay associated with the city’s club work took a toll, and Freund made yet another major life decision in the late 1990s; he moved westward to California to the Bay area of San Francisco.  There, Freund established something of a residency at a San Francisco venue named The Saloon.  This gig oftentimes included Wendy DeWitt, a blues piano artist (who still continues to perform at the club).

Since his move west, Freund has released collections under his name for Delmark Records in 1999 and 2001 entitled “C” Is For Chicago and I’ll Be Your Mule, respectively.  He also appears with guitarist and vocalist Dave Specter on Delmark Records’ 2004 outing entitled Is What It Is.  2010 saw Freund release Lonesome Flight on the 9 Below Records imprint, along with 2013’s Come On IN This House for the same label.

Freund found recording work with west coast harmonica player and vocalist R.J. Mischo and Chicago blues bassist Bob Stroger in 1999 and 2006, respectively.

As bluesman Specter has been mentioned a number of times while referencing Freund, it should be expressed that Freund acted as a chief mentor to Specter. 

Freund is also represented on Delmark Records’ Blues Guitar Greats Anthology from 1996, the label’s 2006 release Michael Coleman and The Delmark All-Stars – Blues Brunch At The Mart, plus Delmark Records’ 2008 release Delmark: 55 Years Of Blues By Delmark, plus he contributed to the Rockwell Avenue Blues Band’s 2018 release on Delmark Records entitled Back To Chicago.  Finally, Freund appears on Dave Specter’s 2021 Delmark Records collection entitled Six String Soul: 30 Years On Delmark.      

In total, Freund has nearly 60 music credits under his belt; 59 to be exact.  His recorded output and production efforts are obviously staggering.  So what is it about Freund’s playing and singing that makes him so appealing and in-demand?

Freund’s guitar work is not in any way over-the-top, frantic, framed in too many notes, or prone to excessive volume.  No, his guitar style was shaped by his early Chicago days when he needed to be flexible to be able to back and record with such a diverse array of artists.  As such, he keenly learned respect for the music’s variabilities, resulting in the importance of touch, tone, craftsmanship, and how to listen.  It may sound cliché, but Freund’s approach is wonderfully economical in that it presents ideally what is demanded, nothing more, nothing less, but yet always with the undercurrent of unique technique and dedication to artistry.  These teachings fueled what has become his accomplished, prudent style, one where phrasing and fluidity are of paramount importance.

His vocals, likewise, are not disposed to unnecessary melodramatic delivery.  Rather, they are clean, coherent, expertly designed, poised, and chock-full of conviction and sincere passion.  This vocal style seems to resonate comfortably with many listeners who value substance and nuance over affected conveyance.

Freund’s personal web site personal web site , (stevefreund.com), is up-and-running, and he does maintain a Facebook page, one that appears to be regularly updated.  A post from 1/25/2022 indicates that Freund’s music will be featured on WBRS 100.1 FM out of Waltham, MA.  One post from 1/22/2023 indicates that Freund played at The Saloon in San Francisco with an aggregation named The Wolves.  The post indicates the show as “The Wolves feat Steve Freund at the Saloon in SF.”  And indeed, that show was confirmed via the venue’s web site.  Also, Freund is mentioned in a 1/20/2023 post that shows his music being featured in a KRVM 91.9 FM radio show out of Eugene, OR entitled Breakfast With The Blues. 

I also found a posted video of him playing a song in late December, 2022 with Wendy DeWitt, and he seemed in fine form vocally and on guitar.  Plus, I found an early advertisement for a December, 2022 Freund performance at The Saloon.

So, Freund  is still active and listeners certainly want to hear his unique, satisfying brand of blues. 

I was very fortunate to hear via email from Freund and he graciously assisted me with certain clarifications regarding his background, and to let me know that he is still gigging and always looking for show opportunities.   

If there has ever been a blues artist deserving of much wider acclaim and recognition than Steve Freund, I don’t know who it is.  I was hooked on Freund’s blues visions all those years ago in the 1980s when I first saw him, and I believe he is someone extremely worthy of your investigation now into his extensive contributions to the music we all love; the blues.

And as a blues music blogger, having Freund personally reach out to me was both surprising and inspiring, and I sincerely thank him for that.

Let’s hope that Freund continues to present his blues to the public for years to come.  He is definitely an immense talent, and someone with a blues pedigree who is deserving of everyone’s time.