Nick Fraser has been an active and engaging presence in the Toronto new jazz and improvised music community for over twenty years. He has performed with a veritable "who's who" of Canadian jazz and improvised music and with such international artists as Tony Malaby, Kris Davis, William Parker, Roscoe Mitchell, Marilyn Crispell, Anthony Braxton, Donny McCaslin and David Binney. Nick's recorded works as a leader include Owls in Daylight (1997) and Nick Fraser and Justin Haynes are faking it (2004), Towns and Villages (2013), Too Many Continents (2015) and Starer(2016). For ten years, he co-led the group Drumheller, who released four critically acclaimed recordings. Other projects that occupy him regularly are Peripheral Vision, Eucalyptus, Titanium Riot, Ugly Beauties (with Marilyn Lerner and Matt Brubeck), and the Lina Allemano Four. Nick has performed on over 70 commercially released recordings.

Nick's recorded works as a leader include Owls in Daylight (1997), Nick Fraser and Justin Haynes are faking it (2004) and Towns and Villages (2013). For 10 years, he co-led the co-operative group Drumheller with Brodie West, Rob Clutton, Eric Chenaux and Doug Tielli, who released four critically acclaimed CDs between 2005 and 2013. Other projects that occupy Nick regularly are Ugly Beauties (with Marilyn Lerner and Matt Brubeck), Peripheral Vision, the Lina Allemano Four and Titanium Riot. nickfraserthedrummer.com

"Fraser not so much plays the drums as hurls himself whole body and soul against skin and metal... truly talented."
--Bill Stunt, CBC Radio.

"Fraser is a deft and sensitive percussionist with a hint of an enigmatic streak, a feeling for economical gestures, and an innate sense of form."
--Mark Miller, The Globe & Mail

Fraser's new quartet focuses on his compositions. It features the following musicians...

Emily Denison is a trumpet player in Toronto's jazz and creative music scenes. She recently earned her Bachelor of Jazz Performance with honours from the University of Toronto. Emily can be heard in Toronto and beyond with Ken Aldcroft’s Convergence Ensemble, Bellwether4, and Luscar, as well as in many spontaneous and freelance performances. Emily has recently released a cassette of original solo trumpet music entitled Kindred on HAVN records. emilydenison.com

Originally from Vancouver, BC, bassist, composer, and producer Josh Cole co-founded the critically acclaimed October Trio with Dan Gaucher and Evan Arntzen in 2004. In the years following Josh lived in Vancouver where he participated in the jazz community performing and recording with Brad Turner, Ron Samworth, George Mcfetridge, Bruno Hubert, and many others. Since moving to Toronto in 2010, Josh has worked with Brodie West, Nick Fraser, Ryan Driver, Hugh Marsh, Robin Dann (Bernice), Thom Gill, Devon Sproule, Sandro Perri, Martha Wainwright, Michelle Willis, Ken Aldcroft, and Prince Nifty amongst others. Josh is currently a member of Craig Dunsmuir’s Dun-Dun Band, Thom Gill’s Blessings/Love Thy Will Be Done, Brodie West Quintet, Sandro Perri band, Nick Fraser’s New Quartet, and more. joshcolemusic.tumblr.com

“Cole can be coolly lyrical, he can write a controlled “classical” counterpoint, he can drop in some funk, and he can also let the improvisers loose in the stratosphere.”
-- Popmatters.com

One of Canada’s leading proponents of the melodically inventive tradition of Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh, Trevor Hogg is a saxophonist based in Toronto. He performs most frequently with the Juno award nominated group Peripheral Vision (Don Scott, Michael Herring, Nick Fraser) and with his own new group featuring Reg Schwager, Dan Fortin, and Nico Dann. trevorhogg.tumblr.com

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