Chico Freeman is a modern jazz tenor saxophonist born on July 17, 1949, in Chicago, Illinois. Son of the Chicago-based jazz saxophonist Von Freeman, he is a graduate of Northwestern University, with a major in music. A critically acclaimed performer, he is capable of intricate melodies and rhythms. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as part of a movement including Wynton Marsalis of modern players steeped in the traditions of jazz, recording for independent labels like India Navigation and Contemporary Records.