If you go
› What: FrazierBand with Winston Ramble› Where: Clyde's on Main, 122 W. Main St.› When: 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9› Admission: $5› Phone: 423-362-8335
John FrazierJohn Frazier was an established multi-instrumentalist known for some of his session work on the mandolin, guitar and fiddle when he joined forces with Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers.
He toured and wrote with Martin and the band and said the experience opened up a bit of a new world for him.
"Certainly working with Steve was important," Frazier said. "I was already interested in exploring different things and other ideas, but he blew that whole thing open and that gave me the confidence to do it myself.
"Whether through his comedy or magic or Vaudeville stuff, he just fearlessly presented all of those things. I wanted to write, to sing and to play and I just saw that that was the only way to do it."
Frazier returns to Chattanooga for a show on Friday, Feb. 9, with his FrazierBand at Clyde's on Main. They will be doing songs from their 2017 CD "Some People Change," among other numbers. The band plays their own blend of "progressive bluegrass fusion" or "newgrass."
In addition to his work with Martin and Steep Canyon Rangers, Frazier has recorded or toured with John Cowan, Del McCoury, Tony Rice, JD Crowe and Jim Lauderdale.
He gets co-writing credits along with Martin and the Rangers for the song "Go Away, Stop, Turn Around, Come Back."
FrazierBand was created in 2010. It features "tons of percussion and keys and banjo and myself," Frazier said.
"It's really exciting and we have a full sound."
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.
What they’re saying ...
“’The Rod and The Cane’ is the perfect song to crank up with the windows down, the pulsating mandolin overlaid with cool guitar tones.” — Broken Radio Magazine“John has put forth a new level of thought in his work. FrazierBand’s music displays a fiery level of enthusiasm to present a core of groove graced by tasteful licks and pure original tone. Almost like a newgrass and root-based version of the Flecktones, this music is refined and honorably cool.” — Colorado Bluegrass Music Society“John Frazier, wow. I don’t think there is enough space here for me to accurately describe my fondness for John. Let’s just say that of the hundreds of folks I’ve encountered in a life of music, he is one of the most positive, thoughtful, intelligent, and gifted men I have had the pleasure to create with. By the way, the FrazierBand record is fabulous!”— John Cowan, The Voice of Newgrass