Lawrence "Bud" Freeman (April 13, 1906 – March 15, 1991)[1] was an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer, known mainly for playing tenor saxophone, but also the clarinet.

While Armstrong was in King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, Freeman attended performances at Lincoln Gardens with McPartland.

[3] In 1927, he moved to New York City, where he worked as a session musician and band member with Red Nichols, Roger Wolfe Kahn, Ben Pollack, and Joe Venuti.

One of his most notable performances was a solo on Eddie Condon's 1933 recording, The Eel,[1] which became Freeman's nickname for his long snake-like improvisations.

In 1960, he wrote the book and lyrics for the Broadway musical Beg, Borrow or Steal,[4] which included the ballad "Zen Is When", later recorded by the Dave Brubeck Quartet on Jazz Impressions of Japan (1964).