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Artist
Matt Freeman
12+ albums
about
Matthew "McCall" Freeman (born Roger Matthew Freeman June 14 1966 in Albany, California, USA) is an American musician. He is best known for his bass guitar work with the punk rock bands Operation Ivy and Rancid. Matt Freeman was born in Albany, California, a working class suburb located between Berkeley and El Cerrito. He met Tim Armstrong when they were only five years old. They played in Little League together and later attended the same high school. Matt played the trumpet as a kid, and later learned how to play the trombone and played in a Jazz band. He learned how to play the guitar, and eventually began playing bass. They got into punk when Armstrong got a tape of punk bands from his older brother, and began playing music together. They were in a series of bands, the first of which was Basic radio, who broke up in late 1986 or early 1987. His style is similar to that of reggae bassist, hardcore punk, and jazz. Mostly plays with a pick. He is famous for his virtuostic solos. The sound and style Freeman plays is probably one of the most characteristic features of the music of Rancid. In May of 1987, Freeman and Armstrong formed the band Operation Ivy. After Operation Ivy broke up in May 1989, they formed a new band, Downfall, which included all but one member of Operation Ivy and two additional members. Downfall recorded a 10-song album which has never been released, then broke up. Freeman and Armstrong next formed Generator, who played a number of shows, but are not