Nick Fraser: Still Screaming Into the Snare Drum

Today, we're putting The Tonearm's needle on Toronto drummer and composer Nick Fraser.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.His latest record, Areas, 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.We talked about the making of Areas, what a long-term group actually sounds like from the inside, and where his music is headed.(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Nick Fraser's Areas)—Dig DeeperArtist and AlbumVisit Nick Fraser at nickfraserthedrummer.com and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTubePurchase or stream Areas at BandcampElastic Recordings — the Toronto imprint releasing AreasCollaborators on AreasKris Davis — pianist and composer; also visit her label Pyroclastic RecordsTony Malaby at Berklee College of Music — saxophonist and facultyJohn Kameel Farah — Palestinian-Canadian composer and pianist; hear the Farahser duo album at BandcampBen Monder — guitarist, who subbed for Davis at the Toronto album release concertsTribute and Influence: Brodie WestBrodie West — Toronto saxophonist and composer; "There Are Other Ways" is a tribute to his workWays — Brodie West's duo project with drummer Evan Cartwright, which the tribute track honorsLong-term CollaborationsLina Allemano — Toronto/Berlin trumpeter and composer; Fraser has played in the Lina Allemano Four for twenty yearsDrumheller — Fraser's decade-long cooperative group with Brodie West, Rob Clutton, Eric Chenaux, and Doug Tielli (2003–2013)Hamid Drake — Chicago drummer whom Fraser has been encouraging Brodie West to record withThe Imaginary Brass Band — a trio featuring Fraser alongside Doug Tielli and Heather Saumer; recorded the song “Sketch 57”Previous Trio RecordingsZoning (2019, Astral Spirits) — BandcampToo Many Continents (2015, Clean Feed) — Clean Feed RecordsMusical ReferenceOlivier Messiaen, Quartet for the End of Time — Fraser drew on Messiaen's harmonics when composing the title track "Area"Toronto Scene and OrganizationsAssociation of Improvising Musicians of Toronto (AIMToronto) — 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)FACTOR — the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings; co-funded by the Canadian federal government and private radio broadcastersNick Fraser at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music — where Fraser teaches—Dig into this episode's complete show notes at podcast.thetonearm.com—• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate The Tonearm ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. • Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of The Tonearm in your podcast app of choice. • Looking for more? Visit podcast.thetonearm.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Talk Of The Tonearm email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn. • Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.