Caesar Frazier – Live At Jazzcup

Der Jazz hatte schon immer seine mehr oder weniger „heimlichen“ Persönlichkeiten, ja sogar Legenden, die einen bedeutenden und einflussreichen Beitrag zum Genre leisteten, ohne bekannt zu werden. Ein solches Beispiel ist der brillante Organist Caesar Frazier. Der Weg, der ihn von Lake Helen in Florida nach Kopenhagen, Dänemark, führte, ist lang und kurvenreich. Aber im Laufe seiner historischen Karriere als einer der am härtesten arbeitenden Künstler in der Jazz- und Soulmusik hat Frazier gelernt, dass man, wenn man etwas richtig machen will, es auf seine eigene Weise tun muss – und seinen eigenen Weg gehen muss. Und genau das hat er auf seinem ersten Live-Album getan, das er an einem warmen Novemberwochenende in einem Club im Herzen von Kopenhagen aufgenommen hat.

Der heute in Florida lebende Caesar Frazier begann seine Solokarriere als funky Soul-Jazz-Organist, der in den 70er und 80er Jahren mehrere Alben als Leader aufnahm, darunter HAIL CAESAR! mit Musikern, die sonst mit dem Prestige-Label und dessen energiegeladenem Soul-Jazz in Verbindung gebracht werden. Obwohl das Album nicht sofort ein Hit war, entdeckten Rapper später die funkigen Beats, schreienden Saxophone, scharfen Wah-Wah-Gitarren, Conga-Trommeln und Caesar Fraziers Hammond-Orgel, die alles in warmen, rhythmischen Wellen überspült. Das Album ist heute eine wertvolle Rarität für Sammler und genießt unter Vinyl-Freaks Kultstatus, dank Sampling durch Gang Starr, Common, Kanye West und Arrested Development. Frazier reflektiert über das überraschende zweite Leben des Albums lange nach seiner ersten Veröffentlichung: „Wir hatten talentierte Musiker wie Houston Person am Tenorsaxophon und Idris Muhammad am Schlagzeug an Bord. Trotzdem hätte ich nie erwartet, dass das Album ein Klassiker werden würde. In der Tat ist es heute eine Rarität, für die die Leute viel Geld bezahlen. Ich bekomme immer noch E-Mails von Leuten aus der ganzen Welt, die es kaufen wollen. Aber ich habe meine eigenen Exemplare verkauft“, sagt der ‚Orgelking‘.

Frazier’s career includes legendary stints with alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson’s groups and even soul legend Marvin Gaye. He went on to record several more albums (including as a singer) but is still best known for his contributions as a sideman to stars in multiple genres.

Besides focusing on playing in local venues wherever he goes, Caesar’s artistic output had quieted down a bit over the past decade-plus, but that changed with the releases of INSTINCT (2018), CLOSER TO THE TRUTH (2019), and TENACITY – AS WE SPEAK (2022). Suddenly, eyes and ears have once again found the organ icon. And now, on LIVE AT JAZZCUP, he demonstrates that he is a faithful guardian of the Hammond B3 grail and today is one of the few active original exponents of the instrument and its rich tradition.

The set includes well-loved familiar classics and standards such as A Night In Tunisia, Willow Weep For Me, You Don’t Know What Love Is, and Jive, as well as his own King of Leone and Thieves In the Temple by Prince – nine tracks in all. And Frazier, now a spirited 74-year-old, has never sounded better as he drives the music and the musicians with his potent playing on the Hammond B3.

The organ is still an integral part of the jazz scene internationally, just like when a young Caesar first heard Jimmy Smith, whose insistent, rhythmic playing built bridges between jazz, soul, and blues. Smith was one of the artists whose songs got playtime on the jukebox in the all-black bar across the street from the farmhouse in rural Florida where he grew up. “Even then, I knew I wanted to play the organ and make people smile and dance,” he says. “Every night when I would go to sleep, I would lay in my bed and listen to the music pouring in through my window from that juke joint over there. I listened to it all carefully. Even the gospel songs we sang in church and the country music played on the white radio stations. Today, I am deeply grateful that I had such a wide-ranging musical upbringing.”

Caesar’s recent releases have rekindled listeners‘ appreciation and fascination with the legendary organist. And it has brought him to Denmark, kick-starting the recording of the first live album in Caesar’s long and iconic career. It was recorded with Danish drummer and producer Kresten Osgood (b. 1976), the young and talented Danish guitarist Johannes Wamberg (b. 1991), and Swedish tenor saxophonist Jonas Kullhammar (b. 1978).

Kresten Osgood defies all musical categorizations. He is a hungry and dedicated musician who always plays for the musical moment, whatever the context. His incredible career includes celebrated work as a rapper, composer, pianist, organist, vocalist, saxophonist, and trumpeter. His musicality has brought him together with some of the greatest musical luminaries, including Billy Preston, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Sam Rivers, and Yusef Lateef. He has received numerous honors during his career and toured the world as a performer, and to describe his published body of work as vast would be an epic understatement.

Guitarist Johannes Wamberg is one of the brightest musical minds of his generation, casually bridging genres and elevating every musical moment to which he lends his sound and talent. Wamberg is equally at home in pop, rock, fusion, funk, and seemingly every sub-genre of jazz imaginable.

Saxophonist and composer Jonas Kullhammar has been one of Sweden’s most celebrated musicians since his quartet’s breakthrough in 1998. His discography now includes countless albums, and the list of awards, honors, and accolades he has received is far too long to list here.

Osgood, Wamberg, and Kullhammar make up three-quarters of the new Caesar Frazier Quartet. It’s a compelling group offering exciting musical experiences to listeners drawn to vintage jazz and soul, with its span of generations and material. It’s all held together and led fearlessly by one of the greatest heroes on his instrument.

Compelling stories come together on a live recording from a popular jazz venue in Copenhagen. The time is now – Hail Caesar!

Caesar Frazier – Hammond B3 / Jonas Kullhammar – tenor sax / Johannes Wamberg – guitar / Kresten Osgood – drums

Jive Samba / You Don’t Know What Love Is / King of Leone / Thieves In the Temple / You’ve Changed / Night In Tunisia / 1-2-3 / I Wanna Make It with You / Willow Weep for Me.

STUCD 23042/STULP 23041 Ceasar Frazier, Live at Jazzcup, Stunt Records, Sundance Music ApS.