Caesar Frazier Organ Quartet

Caesar Frazier is representative of the second wave of Hammond B-3 organists to follow in the footsteps of Jimmy Smith's pioneering work on the instrument. Frazier's stellar keyboard style has been heard with many soul-jazz purveyors of the '70s, including Lou Donaldson, Melvin Sparks, Ivan 'Boogaloo Joe' Jones, and George Freeman. He was also a member of Marvin Gaye's backup band. A native of Indianapolis, Caesar was playing professionally by his mid-teens. His first major exposure came with Lou Donaldson's band in 1972. Before long he was recording his own albums, albums that have since become sampling favorites for hip-hop artists. Frazier is ably backed by tenor saxophonist Lyle Link, guitarist Jacques Lesure and drummer Leon Joyce, Jr.