Article: Jazz saxophonist traces his life's work in a string of colorful notes.

Byline: Howard Reich

CHICAGO _ Vonski!

Ask anyone in jazz the meaning of the word, and you'll hear roughly the same rush of adjectives: tough, muscular, aggressive, hard-hitting, strong.

As in Von Freeman, the revered tenor saxophonist who acquired the nickname as a kid on the South Side of Chicago, the city's sound and swagger eventually captured in the bell of his horn.

Though he never achieved the early fame of his contemporaries, such as Chicago tenor giants Gene Ammons and Johnny Griffin, Vonski has come to epitomize some of the noblest facets of Chicago jazz: Its emotional fervor, its hunger for innovation, its technical prowess ...

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