Dean Fraser

Born in Kingston, Dean Fraser established himself in the late 1970s as one of Jamaica’s leading studio saxophonists. Trained first on clarinet and later on saxophone, he developed a supple, melodic style rooted in roots reggae but flexible enough to move through dub, more digital productions and the soul-influenced forms of contemporary reggae. After early work with Ronald “Nambo” Robinson and Junior “Chico” Chin, he joined Lloyd Parks’s We The People Band in 1977 and notably backed Dennis Brown on recordings produced by Joe Gibbs. His discography under his own name includes Black Horn Man (1978), Pure Horns (1979), Double Dynamite (1979), Revolutionary Sounds (1980), Pumping Air (1984) and Sings and Blows (1988). In the 1980s Fraser also worked with Sly & Robbie in the studio and on tour, and he remained prominent during the digital era, when the saxophone retained a central role in reggae arrangements. From the late 1990s he collaborated closely with Luciano and continued his work as accompanist, arranger and producer for artists such as Tarrus Riley and Duane Stephenson. In 1993 the Jamaican government awarded him the Musgrave Medal for services to music.