FREUND FAMILY TRIO

Music has long been an important part of my interactions with my sons, Erik and Tom. As they were growing up, the boys had to listen to me pound the piano and force-feed them the popular tunes I relished. Erik was rewarded with a drum kit, and he took off – although mainly on the songs he and Tom favored. A short-time later, Tom picked up a guitar – and later on, a bass, a mandolin, a uke, piano, etc – and discovered his singing chops and composing ability.

             Tom has gone on to become a professional singer-songwriter, based in L.A. but playing in countless venues across the United States, plus Europe and Japan. He has recorded 13 albums (including one for Christmas and one for kids) of the songs he composed. Erik has chosen a business career, but can still play drums like a pro.

             When the three of us get together in the vicinity of a piano and a set of drums, we play together as the Freund Family Trio – entertaining at several Princeton reunions, including participation in The Battle of the Alumni Bands. When there are no drums, Erik often reverts to bongos; if a piano is missing, I pull out a trusty harmonica.

             Recently, Tom played some East coast gigs, and the three of us were able to  enjoy some musical sessions together, which were recorded on an IPhone. I’ve now pulled together excerpts from four locations into a 24-minute pastiche that I think you’ll enjoy.

             It begins with two snippets from Tom’s recent gig at Manhattan’s upscale City Winery venue. In the first take he’s accompanying his singing on an acoustic bass, and the song (Digs) is one he wrote for his first album. On the second clip, he plays acoustic guitar on another of his compositions, Poached Eggs.

             The scene then switches to Barbara and my weekend home in Easton, CT, which boasts not only a piano but a set of drums. Our playing was recorded on an IPhone by both Barbara and Erik’s daughter Paige. We kick it off with me singing a song I wrote about them when they were teenagers, My Boys, which still brings moisture to my eyes.

             Then we move to two Grateful Dead songs we favor, Friend of the Devil and Uncle John’s Band. We revert briefly to another composition of mine Acres of Flesh, from the days we had a house at Ocean Beach on Fire Island – part of a longer piece called Fire Island Suite, with the more raucous lyrics omitted. Then back to a cover of Paul Simon’s Slip Sliding Away, which contains some of the best lyrics from the rock era.

             The scene then switches to our hotel room in Atlantic City, where we spent a few days last month in Caesar’s casino (pretty much breaking even). But we just couldn’t resist a late night impromptu songfest, using guitar, bongos and harmonica.

             It begins with a favorite of ours, Gordon Lightfoot’s Early Morning Rain. Then we switched to two of Tom’s songs – first, Poached Eggs, and second Ghost in This Town, the latter featuring a neat duet between Tom and Erik. My harp solo introduces a cover of a favorite, Tom Paxton’s Last thing on my Mind (which Tom thought was going to be our other Paxton favorite, Ramblin’ Boy).

             Now we’re back in New York City, where Tom is playing a gig at a club named Hill Country Barbecue, and with Barbara, Erik and yours truly in the audience. To my surprise, at one point Tom called me up to the stage for a piano accompaniment on Bobby Troup’s Route 66, a song I exposed on the boys to over four decades ago. As is usually the case, I had my harp with me and requested that we play that other Tom Paxton song. Ramblin’ Boy, which we ended up singing (and then hugging).

If you’d like to see and hear Tom Freund sing more of his fine songs, use this link https://www.youtube.com/@trulymellow to go to his Youtube channel; and for more info about him, his activities, and his latest album, here’s the link www.tomfreund.com to Tom’s website.

             Hope you like what the Freund Family Trio has to offer. Click on the player below to watch the video.