by Steve HueyPianist Russ Freeman — not to be confused with the guitarist/leader of the Rippingtons — was better known as a sideman than a leader, but he was an important collaborator with both Chet Baker and Shelly Manne, leaving his mark on two of the most celebrated bodies of work in West Coast cool jazz. Classically trained as a child, Freeman began making a name for himself on the West Coast jazz scene in the mid-40s, playing mostly with bebop-oriented groups. During this period, he worked with Howard McGhee, Dexter Gordon, Charlie Parker, Art Pepper, Shorty Rogers, and Wardell Gray, among others. Freeman joined Chet Bakers new quartet in 1953, and their chemistry was immediate as Freeman proved to be perhaps the most sympathetic accompanist the trumpeter/vocalist ever had; his tasteful, well-formulated original compositions also fit Bakers style well and The Wind became something of a standard. Their collaboration spanned 19...