{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/62bc729dcf1ab400126c1e1b/6a06426868dc584edaebc52a?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Nick Fraser: Still Screaming Into the Snare Drum","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/62bc729dcf1ab400126c1e1b/1778794966184-1291856d-2ffa-46ec-a848-7298f65a339c.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>Today, we're putting <em>The Tonearm</em>'s needle on Toronto drummer and composer <strong>Nick Fraser</strong>.</p><p>Nick Fraser is one of the most distinctive voices in Canadian improvised music. He has played with Anthony Braxton, Roscoe Mitchell, and William Parker, and has led projects that range from raw free jazz to something much harder to name.</p><p>His latest record, <em>Areas</em>, just dropped on Elastic Recordings. It's a trio date with saxophonist Tony Malaby and pianist Kris Davis. Electroacoustic interludes by composer John Kameel Farah thread through the album, built from processed duo recordings of Fraser and Malaby. The album has weight and atmosphere in equal measure, and it’s unlike anything I’ve heard this year.</p><p>We talked about the making of <em>Areas</em>, what a long-term group actually sounds like from the inside, and where his music is headed.</p><p>(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Nick Fraser's <em>Areas</em>)</p><p>—</p><h2><strong>Dig Deeper</strong></h2><p><strong>Artist and Album</strong></p><ul><li>Visit Nick Fraser at <a href=\"https://nickfraserthedrummer.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">nickfraserthedrummer.com</a> and follow him on <a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nickfraserthedrummer/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram</a>, <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/nickfraserdrummer/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook</a>, and <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/@nickfraser4168\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube</a></li><li>Purchase or stream <em>Areas</em> at <a href=\"https://nickfraserthedrummer.bandcamp.com/album/areas-2\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Bandcamp</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.elasticrecordings.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Elastic Recordings</a> — the Toronto imprint releasing <em>Areas</em></li></ul><p><strong>Collaborators on <em>Areas</em></strong></p><ul><li><a href=\"https://krisdavis.net/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Kris Davis</a> — pianist and composer; also visit her label <a href=\"https://pyroclasticrecords.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Pyroclastic Records</a></li><li><a href=\"https://college.berklee.edu/faculty/tony-malaby\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Tony Malaby at Berklee College of Music</a> — saxophonist and faculty</li><li><a href=\"https://www.johnfarah.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">John Kameel Farah</a> — Palestinian-Canadian composer and pianist; hear the <em>Farahser</em> duo album at <a href=\"https://nickfraserthedrummer.bandcamp.com/album/farahser\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Bandcamp</a></li><li><a href=\"https://benmonder.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Ben Monder</a> — guitarist, who subbed for Davis at the Toronto album release concerts</li></ul><p><strong>Tribute and Influence: Brodie West</strong></p><ul><li><a href=\"https://www.brodiewest.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Brodie West</a> — Toronto saxophonist and composer; \"There Are Other Ways\" is a tribute to his work</li><li><a href=\"https://www.brodiewest.com/ways/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Ways</a> — Brodie West's duo project with drummer Evan Cartwright, which the tribute track honors</li></ul><p><strong>Long-term Collaborations</strong></p><ul><li><a href=\"https://linaallemano.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Lina Allemano</a> — Toronto/Berlin trumpeter and composer; Fraser has played in the Lina Allemano Four for twenty years</li><li><a href=\"https://nickfraserthedrummer.com/projects/past-projects/drumheller/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Drumheller</a> — Fraser's decade-long cooperative group with Brodie West, Rob Clutton, Eric Chenaux, and Doug Tielli (2003–2013)</li><li><a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamid_Drake\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Hamid Drake</a> — Chicago drummer whom Fraser has been encouraging Brodie West to record with</li><li><a href=\"https://rat-drifting.bandcamp.com/album/the-imaginary-brass-band\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">The Imaginary Brass Band</a> — a trio featuring Fraser alongside Doug Tielli and Heather Saumer; recorded the song “Sketch 57”</li></ul><p><strong>Previous Trio Recordings</strong></p><ul><li><em>Zoning</em> (2019, Astral Spirits) — <a href=\"https://fraserdavismalaby.bandcamp.com/album/zoning\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Bandcamp</a></li><li><em>Too Many Continents</em> (2015, Clean Feed) — <a href=\"https://cleanfeed-records.com/product/too-many-continents/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Clean Feed Records</a></li></ul><p><strong>Musical Reference</strong></p><ul><li>Olivier Messiaen, <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartet_for_the_End_of_Time\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Quartet for the End of Time</em></a> — Fraser drew on Messiaen's harmonics when composing the title track \"Area\"</li></ul><p><strong>Toronto Scene and Organizations</strong></p><ul><li><a href=\"https://www.jazzstudiesonline.org/resource/roundtable-discussion-association-improvising-musicians-toronto\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Association of Improvising Musicians of Toronto (AIMToronto)</a> — the nonprofit Fraser co-founded with Rob Clutton, Scott Thomson, Ken Aldcroft, and Joe Sorbara (now largely inactive; linked here is an academic roundtable with founding members)</li><li><a href=\"https://www.factor.ca/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">FACTOR</a> — the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings; co-funded by the Canadian federal government and private radio broadcasters</li><li><a href=\"https://music.utoronto.ca/person/nick-fraser\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Nick Fraser at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music</a> — where Fraser teaches</li></ul><p>—</p><ul><li>Dig into this episode's complete show notes at <a href=\"https://www.podcast.thetonearm.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">podcast.thetonearm.com</a></li></ul><p>—</p><p>• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate <em>The Tonearm</em> ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.</p><p> • Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of <em>The Tonearm</em> in your podcast app of choice.</p><p> • Looking for more? Visit <a href=\"https://podcast.thetonearm.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">podcast.thetonearm.com</a> for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the <em>Talk Of The Tonearm</em> email newsletter. You can also follow us on <a href=\"https://bsky.app/profile/thetonearm.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Bluesky</a>, <a href=\"https://social.lol/@thetonearm\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Mastodon</a>, <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/@TheTonearm\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube</a>, and <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-tonearm/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">LinkedIn</a>.</p><p> • Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, <em>The Tonearm</em>! → <a href=\"https://www.thetonearm.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">thetonearm.com</a></p>","author_name":"Lawrence Peryer"}