Keith Frazier is one of the founding members of Rebirth Brass Band

Rebirth Brass Band

The Rebirth Brass Band is a New Orleans brass band. The group was founded in 1982 by tuba/sousaphone player Philip Frazier, his brother, bass drummer, Keith Frazier and trumpeter Kermit Ruffins, and other school marching band members from Joseph S. Clark Senior High School in New Orleans’ Tremé...

. In the band, Frazier plays the bass drum

Bass drum

Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...

 with one hand, topped with a cymbal

Cymbal

Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...

, of which he strikes with a wire hanger in the other.

Keith Frazier and his brother, Phillip Frazier (the group's sousaphone

Sousaphone

The sousaphone is a type of tuba that is widely employed in marching bands. Designed so that it fits around the body of the musician and is supported by the left shoulder, the sousaphone may be readily played while being carried...

/tuba

Tuba

The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...

 player), formed Rebirth Brass Band

Rebirth Brass Band

The Rebirth Brass Band is a New Orleans brass band. The group was founded in 1982 by tuba/sousaphone player Philip Frazier, his brother, bass drummer, Keith Frazier and trumpeter Kermit Ruffins, and other school marching band members from Joseph S. Clark Senior High School in New Orleans’ Tremé...

, along with other band members they met (including renowned trumpeter, Kermit Ruffins

Kermit Ruffins

Kermit Ruffins is a jazz trumpeter, singer and composer from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. He has been heavily influenced by Louis Armstrong, Louis Jordan and Eddy Jefferson. Ruffins accompanies a large portion of his songs with his own vocals, and he says that the highest note he can hit...

) while students at Joseph S. Clark Sr. High School in New Orleans, LA. In Joseph S. Clark's marching and concert bands, Frazier played several brass instruments and was section leader of the Baritones. Frazier is an accomplished and versatile musician.

Rebirth Brass Band

Rebirth Brass Band

The Rebirth Brass Band is a New Orleans brass band. The group was founded in 1982 by tuba/sousaphone player Philip Frazier, his brother, bass drummer, Keith Frazier and trumpeter Kermit Ruffins, and other school marching band members from Joseph S. Clark Senior High School in New Orleans’ Tremé...

, was discovered at the 1982 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and recorded its first studio album in 1984.

External links

• Keith Frazier Interview - Metromix article by Matt Wake
• Rebirth Brass Band website
• Rebirth Turns 25, Paste Magazine article by Caroline Goyette