As a young musician, Dean Fraser had a single dream in mind, and decades later, the celebrated saxophonist looks back with a grateful smile, having achieved that dream many times over while collecting numerous accolades along the way.
“The only thing I ever wanted in music was to play on a record and hear it on the radio. My only thought was to turn on the radio and hear my horns,” Fraser shared. Recently, he had an entire day named in his honor.
Reflecting on that pivotal moment, Fraser vividly remembers what he did on that fateful day long ago.
“As a young boy in Trench Town, I gathered all my friends and said, ‘Listen to that … that’s my horn.’ Some of them believed me, and some didn’t,” Fraser recalled.
The song, which he believes was the Channel One version of the iconic Death in the Arena, marked his first major recording. “That was the first big song I played on. It was played at every dance, on every radio station … it was a hit,” Fraser recounted. “And that was it for me. Mission accomplished.”
In truth, it was just the beginning of a remarkable career that has seen the name ‘Dean Fraser’ appear on hundreds, if not thousands, of albums, whether as a supporting musician or as the main artist.
On August 10, just six days after his birthday, ‘Dean Fraser Day’ was officially declared by New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The proclamation was presented to Fraser by U.S. Congresswoman Yvette Clarke during the People’s Ball, hosted by the Jamaica Independence Foundation, Inc.
“I found out about it while I was standing there,” Fraser said with a laugh. “It was a total surprise. Honestly, I didn’t even know how to react.”
In addition, Fraser was honored with a Lifetime Achievement & Living Legend Award at the New York City event, presented by the Jamaica Tourist Board’s Victoria Harper.
Fraser’s biography notes that he began playing the saxophone at age 15 and joined Lloyd Parks’ We The People Band in 1977, backing Dennis Brown on several recordings for Joe Gibbs. His first album, Black Horn Man, was produced by Gibbs in 1978, followed by Pure Horns and Double Dynamite in 1979, and Revolutionary Sounds for Donovan Germain in 1980. He performed at the 1981 Reggae Sunsplash, delivering an instrumental version of Bob Marley’s Redemption Song and later recorded two albums of Marley covers, Dean Plays Bob and Dean Plays Bob Volume II.
Fraser recently released Sax in Dub, a 19-track album produced by Tad’s Records, featuring songs like Belafonte Ghost, Follow Me to Dub Land (featuring Bongo Herman), Rankinkong, Not Jazz Just Rockazz, Jack the Reaper, and Blue Nile. The album cover depicts Fraser joyfully playing his saxophone while skanking to dub music.
Discussing Sax in Dub, Fraser expressed his enthusiasm, saying he was thrilled to provide sounds that people would love. He spoke passionately about “dubwise” and “rub-a-dub,” even preparing to teach about the genre.
“When you’re making music, you have to categorize it,” Fraser explained about the album. “Europeans are really into dub music. You’d have to attend one of those dances, like a Jah Shaka dance, to truly experience it—to hear the dub playing with horn phrases and effects … people grooving like they’re in a trance … that’s the power of dub.”
Delving deeper into the subject, Fraser added, “I’m grateful to Tads [the producer] for embracing the idea and to all the musicians who played with me, especially the young talents Okeil [McIntyre], Oshabe [Love], and Randy [Fletcher]. It’s unfortunate that dub music has drifted away from Jamaica. At one time, the flip side of a 45 [vinyl record] was the version … the dub … and that was a big deal in the dance scene. With the delays and echoes in the dub, deejays started toasting over it.”
He continued, “People are loving Sax in Dub. When I arrived in London recently, David Rodigan told me he thought it was a masterpiece. Personally, I’d like to see the youth in dancehall get back into dub. Dub is a part of our culture. We created it. And thanks to producers like King Tubby, King Jammy, and Scientist, dub music has become a global phenomenon.”
Fraser is already planning Sax in Dub Pt II, which will feature the same songs but mixed differently.
“Trust me, people are going to love it,” Fraser assured.
A highly decorated musician, Dean Fraser received the Musgrave Medal in 1993, the Order of Distinction from the Government of Jamaica in 2010 for his contributions to music, and in 2020, the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association awarded him for his Extraordinary Impact on the Reggae Industry in the field of Mentorship.
