Fred Anderson (musician)

Biography

Anderson was born in Monroe, Louisiana. At age ten, following his parents' separation, he moved to Evanston, Illinois, where he initially lived with his mother and aunt in a one-room apartment. As a teenager, a friend introduced him to Charlie Parker's music, prompting him to decide to play saxophone; he bought his first instrument for $45. He listened to and was influenced by Lester Young, Johnny Hodges, Dexter Gordon, Gene Ammons, and Illinois Jacquet, and also heard Young and Parker in concert multiple times. Unlike many contemporaries, Anderson did not play with dance bands or school ensembles; instead he focused on practicing, taking private lessons, and studying music theory at the Roy Knapp Conservatory in Chicago, while supporting his family by working as a waiter. He worked to develop a personal sound, aiming to combine Ammons' big sound with Parker's speed. Regarding Parker, Anderson said he tried to understand how Parker placed things, not just the notes, and called Parker one of the freest musicians he had heard. During this period he began developing exercises that became a book titled 'Exercises for the Creative Musician.'