{{short description|Jamaican saxophonist|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use British English|date=January 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}} {{Infobox musical artist | image = DeanFraser.jpg | image_size = 131 | caption = Fraser in 2008 | name = Dean Fraser | birth_name = Dean Ivanhoe Fraser | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|8|4|df=y}} | birth_place = Kingston, Jamaica | death_date = | instrument = Saxophone, vocals | genre = Reggae, jazz | occupation = Saxophonist | years_active = Mid-1970s–present | label = Joe Gibbs, Germain, Island, Greensleeves, Shanachie, VP, RAS | associated_acts = We The People Band, Sly & Robbie, Luciano, Tarrus Riley | website = }}
'''Dean Ivanhoe Fraser''' (sometimes appearing as '''Dean Frazer'''; born 4 August 1957)<ref name="allmusic">[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p77564|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic.com biography by Sandra Brennan]</ref> is a Jamaican saxophonist who has contributed to thousands of reggae recordings since the mid-1970s. He was awarded the Musgrave Medal by the Jamaican government in 1993 in recognition of his services to music.<ref name="Larkin">Larkin, Colin: ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Virgin Books, 1998. {{ISBN|0-7535-0242-9}}.</ref>
==Biography== Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Fraser started to play the clarinet at the age of 12. Around this time he met Ronald "Nambo" Robinson and Junior "Chico" Chin at a youth club in Jones Town and the three boys would eventually form a brass section.<ref name="Larkin" /> Fraser took up saxophone at the age of 15.<ref name="allmusic" /> The trio became the foremost horn section in Jamaica in the 1980s. In 1977 he joined Lloyd Parks' We The People Band, backing Dennis Brown on several of his recordings for Joe Gibbs.<ref name="Larkin" /> Fraser's first album, 1978's ''Black Horn Man'', was produced by Gibbs. This was followed in 1979 by ''Pure Horns'' and ''Double Dynamite'', and in 1980 by ''Revolutionary Sounds'' for producer Donovan Germain. Fraser provided horns for Sly & Robbie in the 1980s, both on record and on tour.<ref name="Larkin" /> Fraser appeared at the 1981 Reggae Sunsplash, performing an instrumental version of the recently deceased Bob Marley's "Redemption Song", which led to the 1984 album ''Pumping Air'' on Island Records' Mango label.<ref name="Larkin" /> Fraser went on to record two albums of Marley covers, ''Dean Plays Bob'' and ''Dean Plays Bob volume II''.<ref name="allmusic" /> Dean Fraser married Sophia Wright on 21 March 1993 in Clarendon, Jamaica. They share one daughter.
The digital era of reggae, defined by the use of computers and drum machines to create the backing track, did not affect his output since acoustic instruments such as the saxophone were still in demand. Fraser has released several more albums since and he is recognized as one of Jamaica's top musicians. He toured extensively with Luciano from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s,<ref>Van Pelt, Carter. [http://incolor.inetnebr.com/cvanpelt/lucianoint.html Luciano Interviewed by Carter Van Pelt]. inetnebr.com. 28 February 1999. Retrieved 2011-3-23.</ref> as well as performing on and adding production to several of the singer's albums, including ''A New Day'', ''Serious Times'' and ''Jah Is My Navigator''.<ref>[http://caribplanet.homestead.com/CDReviews_Luciano.html CD Reviews - Luciano]. CaribPlanet. Retrieved 2011-3-23.</ref><ref>Taylor, Angus. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/cp8r Luciano ''United States of Africa'' Review]. ''BBC Music''. 2010-07-09. Retrieved 2011-3-23.</ref> More recently, Fraser has been recording, producing and touring with singers Tarrus Riley and Duane Stephenson.<ref>Taylor, Angus. [http://www.reggaenews.co.uk/interviews/tarrus_riley.asp Interviews - Tarrus Riley] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927122818/http://www.reggaenews.co.uk/interviews/tarrus_riley.asp |date=27 September 2011 }}. ''Reggae News''. Retrieved 2011-3-23.</ref><ref>[http://www.ideasjamaica.com/artist/duane-stephenson-jamaica Duane Stephenson] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321182613/http://www.ideasjamaica.com/artist/duane-stephenson-jamaica |date=21 March 2012 }}. Imagine Dat Entertainment Services. 2009. Retrieved 2011-3-23.</ref> Also, Fraser has redone 16 tracks on CD 2 of ''We Remember Gregory Isaacs'', which was recorded in 2011 on VP Records.
==Discography== ;Solo albums *''Sings and Blows'' (1988), Greensleeves<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/sings-and-blows-mw0000200571 | title=Sings and Blows - Dean Fraser |publisher=AllMusic}}</ref>
;Collaborative albums *''Two Colors - Dean Fraser and Ernie Ranglin'' (2022), VP / Tad's<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/two-colors-mw0003702526 | title=Two Colors - Dean Fraser / Ernie Ranglin |publisher=AllMusic}}</ref>
;Albums produced by Dean Fraser *''We Remember Bob Andy'' (2023), VP<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/we-remember-bob-andy-mw0003877826 | title=We Remember Bob Andy - Various Artists |publisher=AllMusic}}</ref>
;Participated albums *''Never Ending'' by Beres Hammond (2018), VP - horn<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/never-ending-mw0003204011/credits|title=Beres Hammond - Never Ending |publisher=AllMusic}}</ref> *''Throw Down Your Arms'' by Sinead O'Connor (2005), VP - saxophone<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/throw-down-your-arms-mw0000350493#credits|title=Throw Down Your Arms - Sinéad O'Connor {{!}} Album | publisher=AllMusic}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20071027145828/http://roots-archives.com/artist/297 Dean Fraser at Roots Archives] *[http://reggaediscographies.free.fr/DeanFraser.htm Dean Fraser album discography]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fraser, Dean}} Category:1957 births Category:Living people Category:Jamaican reggae musicians Category:Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica Category:Jamaican saxophonists Category:Jamaican male saxophonists Category:Recipients of the Musgrave Medal Category:21st-century saxophonists Category:21st-century Jamaican male musicians Category:VP Records artists Category:Greensleeves Records artists