TromboneChat

Sad to report that Hugh Fraser, Canadian trombonist/pianist/composer passed away from cancer.

Hugh was a true creative force.... a whirlwind of energy, as all who knew him would agree.

His jazz group VEJI (Vancouver Ensemble of Jazz Improvisation) was a group truly worthy of the name 'Jazz'. Totally exciting and captivating music with space to feature the players and their creative strengths....he was a modern Duke Ellington that way.

Many of today's top Canadian musicians came up playing in Hugh's ensembles and he'll be missed by all who knew him.

He taught in Great Britain, Canada, played around the world, worked with Slide Hampton, much more.

https://www.cbc.ca/music/jazz-musician- ... -1.5615663

Hugh was a force of nature. As a trombonist he was the embodiment of excitement and enthusiasm. I remember playing a big band gig where Hugh was the guest artist. We went at least a 1/2 hour overtime with the audience standing in place and crying for more. His solos kept getting more intense with every chorus, and everybody in the room was along for the ride with him.

My favorite concert that I played with Hugh was an event that he brought around to various places called "Bonehenge". Like it sounds, it was multiple trombones with a rhythm section. At the end of the show, we had about a dozen trombone players onstage, and even the (mostly) legit guys like me were having to play a chorus or two (scary following Hugh!). I remember him introducing that tune to the audience, by looking at the crowd of trombones and then looking to the audience and saying -"look at all these trombones - there isn't a pizza getting delivered in a 30 mile radius of here!" That's a line that I've recycled a few times, but I will always think of Hugh if I'm even tempted to use it again. RIP Hugh Fraser.

Jim Scott

Force of nature is a good description of Hugh. I heard him a few times, including the Bonehenge band, and he showed up to run a couple of rehearsals for a big band I was in. Enormous piano (think M Tyner) and trombone chops. It’s been a tough couple of years for him health wise. RIP.

I only met Hugh once, we went for pizza after he played at the Rex in Toronto. Great player, nice guy, obviously influenced many young musicians on the Canadian west coast. He was too young!