The Rooster's Wife
What does Lizzy Ross sound like? If Alison Krauss were a soul singer, if Edie Brickell were born in Chapel Hill, or if Jill Andrews had never known a sad Sam Quinn — that’d be Lizzy. Since none of that happened, Lizzy Ross has her own place in the Indy-Americana-Soul world.
Hear a solo Lizzy Ross Sunday night when she opens for Frazier Band, a new solo debut project by John Frazier.
Join us Sunday night at the Rooster’s Wife.
Wear your best “mom jeans” and tickets only $10.
Tickets available online.
Stepping up and passing it on: John Frazier debuts Frazier Band at the Rooster’s Wife Sunday, May 13.
About two years ago, John Frazier was gigging at the Station Inn in Nashville. Sitting right there, in the audience, was John Prine. Just hanging out. A few songs into it somebody asked Prine, “John, do you want to get up and sing?” And Prine said, “Yea.”
“The thing that struck me was that he was just so cool, totally at peace with himself as an artist, and at peace with himself in the band,” says Frazier, the summer season opener May 13 at the Rooster’s Wife in Aberdeen, NC with Lizzy Ross opening the show.
“That’s what’s great about living in Nashville; the opportunity to be mentored.”
Frazier, 31, has been mentored by, co-founded, sided, or played hired gun to a chill-raising list of players in both traditional and improvisational bluegrass circles: Jim Lauderdale, Steep Canyon Rangers, John Cowan, Bela’ Fleck and more.
By the sound of Frazier’s new project, Frazier Band, he’s picked up a few things from Grappelli and probably Grisman. John Cowan’s Americana-soul sound clearly has its influence too; inevitable since Frazier is Cowan’s mandoline player in the John Cowan Band.
And if you recently saw Cowan at the Rooster’s Wife, come back. Frazier has some songs of his own for you.
Talking from his home town in East Nashville, TN, Frazier has a hand in several projects these days, the big three being Jim Lauderdale Bluegrass Band, John Cowan Band, and the newest debut, Frazier Band.
The transition from sideman to front man has Frazier flipping through a rolodex of memories: the mentoring moments, playing with guys like Prine, and riding in the family car and listening to his uncle’s favorite John Prine tunes. And, later in high school when Frazier started writing and collaborating with musicians in Colorado.
“Around 14, playing music with my friends was very natural. We’d just hang out and play and wrote a lot of songs together,” Frazier says. “I really wanted to recapture that experience in Nashville. I want to get back to that youthful energy.”
Early exposure to Phish and Dave Matthews Band in high school prepared Frazier to understand what New Grass Revival was trying to do, he says.
“Cowan, Sam Bush and Bela did New Grass Revival in ‘89 and jam band music really peaked in the ‘90s. Bela and Sam were taking long improvisational breaks, long before jam bands were even at their peak, but that’s exactly what they were doing,” Frazier says.
Listening to Frazier Band, you’ll hear a touch of that jam band influence, hemmed in by Frazier’s years of experience playing with some of the tightest, innovative players in the bluegrass, soul and americana genres.
Today Frazier freely gives away some of that good advice he’s been given. We asked him what he tells other musicians who are struggling to get started. There’s some great advice in there, no matter what your calling.
He’s just doing what he’s been taught: Stepping up, and passing it on.
- Try and depressurize it. Don’t worry about it so much, you can get consumed with anxiety, and you don’t do anything.
- Try to do one little thing, each and every day. And if you don’t want to work on your business that day, don’t. You have to keep yourself sane.
- Ask yourself, “What can you do in the next 2 hours to feel like you took a step forward in your business?”
- For some people the answer is to write more, not work on the business at all. So do your art. Don’t worry about some of the other stuff. Just be who you are.
If you were at the John Cowan Band show recently at the Rooster’s Wife, you likely saw Frazier as one of the hired guns in Cowan’s project. Come back and make John Frazier feel welcome Sunday, May 13 for his new project debut. It’s Mother’s Day. Bring your mom.
Our sweet Lizzy opens the summer series May 13, with the Frazier Band taking the stage after a quick break for a howdy, a beverage and a stretch. 13 Sundays in a row at the Spot, 114 Knight St, Aberdeen.
I have missed you SO much- see you soon.
Tonight Tuesday April 24, at 6pm at Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight St, we’ll be celebrating my new book with a potluck, poetry, AND recording Laurelyn Dossett’ song “Vote Against Amendment One ” PLEASE JOIN US !!!
May 13 | John Frazier Band, Lizzy Ross opens
May 20 | Bruce Molsky, Brooks Williams
May 27 | Darin Aldredge Band, Audrey Auld and Anne McCue open
June 03 | Fan Modine, Brett Harris opens
June 10 | Twangtown Troubadours, Tres Chicas
June 17 | John Cowan
June 24 | Tony Furtado, Laurelyn Dossett opens
This is how we roll in North Carolina. So proud of my friends, and The Rooster’s Wife almuni, for raising their voices against amendment one!
And I like to think our happy little music house played a role in the creation of this song. The song’s writer, Laurelyn Dossett, had spent Sunday night here for the show with Peggy Seeger and Rhiannon Giddens. She wrote the song “Vote Against Amendment One” the following week.
Something about spending an evening with Seeger and Giddens at The Rooster’s Wife had an inspiring songwriting effect, Dossett said. That, and a 9 mile hike around Lake Brandt in Greensboro.
Walk tall, Laurelyn Dossett.
The Spot is dark for April. We bring it back strong Mother’s Day, May 13, with the John Frazier Band and keep it going for twelve straight Sundays, all the way through July29.
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See you soon !
A big bus in a little town. Ray and Co. will be parked in front of the Spot shortly. We’ll be getting a major swinging party on in the very near future. My feet are getting itchy, the smile’s already firmly in place. In LA, Carolina style. There’s a few standing room tix available at the door. You’ll be dancing anyway . Who needs a chair when you are ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL ?
