A Musical Tribute to The Beatles
A native of Phoenix, Frasier always knew he was destined to play guitar, from his earliest recollections at age 4. At age 6, his grandfather got him an acoustic guitar, complete with the strings a good inch off the fretboard. He pestered his father for 2 years to take lessons. Finally, at age 8, he started taking lessons with an instructor who was soon to become the guitarist for Neil Diamond, Mr. Richard Schwartz. After 2 years of blood-letting on the acoustic, his dad got him an electric guitar for a combination Christmas & Birthday present. He still owns that guitar today.
Frasier's first paying gig was at age 12 (he had to split the 10 dollars with another guitarist, some things never change...) He started doing session work at age 13, with his first session being a television commercial for the Kennecott Copper Corporation. By age 14, he had been woodshedding at home, and in the studio for 6 years, so it was time to join a band.
He started playing out, every weekend, with the band Factory. 2 years went by and he joined the original band SHAMAN, which played covers under the name AUTUMN PEOPLE. Studio work ensued, with many hours tracking at Soundtech Studios producing a locally released album.
Moving to San Diego, Frasier played in a band called OZ, which relocated to Phoenix. As the old story goes, many a band ensued, with stints in EVERYDAY PEOPLE, TOYZ, GOLDMYNE, MAJIK, FAX (before there were fax machines...), and ELEKTRA before putting together an original power trio called THE ASTEROIDS. Frasier then moved to Denver to join SASSI, playing with MARMALADE SKIES bass player, MICRO, putting out a locally distributed single.
Returning from Denver after several years, he put together the 80's techno-band, 7000 RUMORS.
During the mid to late 80's, Frasier also worked as an audio engineer at CHATON RECORDINGS, working with many different genres of music. Clients included LYLE LOVETT, DEL SHANNON, LEE HAZELWOOD, SNUFF GARRETT, THE PHOENIX SYMPHONY, SKITCH HENDERSON, BILL CONTI, DOC SEVERINSEN, MIDORI, ITZHACK PERLMAN, ISAAC STERN, JOSHUA BELL, BILLY WILLIAMS, AL CASEY, HAL BLAINE and many, many other great session players, writers and arrangers.
Frasier went on to work in the professional audio corporate arena, working with Solid State Logic, Panasonic Television and Broadcast Systems, Alesis, and Yamaha. Lots of experience, but playing music is his first love.
He knew he wanted to play guitar from early guitar-oriented music, (mainly country; Buck Owens, Ricky Nelson, Chet Atkins) even before he saw The Beatles that fateful night of February 9, 1964. But after that evening, it was etched in stone.
George Harrison was always his favorite Beatle. But John Lennon's wit and humor was a mighty influence as well. And just THE SOUND of those records... nothing else was like it on the radio, and nothing has been produced like it ever since...
He currently works as an instructor at the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences, teaching people from around the country the art & science of running a recording studio and producing records. And every now and then, he makes a couple of bucks playing the best music in the world with his best friends.