Born in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, he lives in Portugal where he settled in 1987. While in Brazil he studied at the Conservatory of Music in Niterói, he also studied with some legendary drummers such as Alan Dawson, Kenny Washington, Peter Erskine and Max Roach.
In Portugal he dedicates himself mainly to Jazz and improvised music, having collaborated, among many with: Bernardo Sassetti, Mário Laginha, Carlos Martins, Carlos Barretto, Laurent Filipe, André Fernandes, Fictions, Maria João, Ricardo Pinheiro, Tomás Pimentel, Luis Figueiredo , Afonso Pais, Rui Caetano trio. (All with records)
For his vast experience and extreme versatility, he is often asked to act and / or record with musicians of other musical languages, having worked with: Pedro Abrunhosa, Rui Veloso, Resistência, Ala dos Namorados, Rão Kyao, Ana Bacalhau, Carlos do Carmo, Cristina Branco, Júlio Pereira, Antonio Zambujo, José Mario Branco.
Counting on his participation in several dozens of albums by different artists, he highlights as important records of his career, the four albums of Bernardo Sassetti’s trio, “Noturno” (2002), “Ascent“ (2005), ”Unreal Sidewalk Cartoon” (2006), “Motion” (2010), and also “Filactera” (2002) by Mário Delgado, “Undercovers” (2002) and “Tralha” (2004) by Maria João & Mário Laginha, “Espaço” (2007) and “Mongrel” (2010) by Mário Laginha trio, “Tempo” (1996), “Silencio” (1999) and “Palco” (2003) by Pedro Abrunhosa, “Lisboa Mulata” (2011) and “Odeon Hotel” (2018) of Dead Combo and the DVDs of Rui Veloso, “O Concerto Acústico” (2003), Ala dos Namorados, “Ao Vivo no São Luiz” (2004), “Dead Combo & Royal Orquestra das Caveiras ao Vivo em Lisboa” (2010) .
In 2002 he founded `TGB´ (Tuba, Guitarra & Bateria) with Sergio Carolino and Mário Delgado, a bold and restless group that moves beyond the borders of Jazz, Rock and improv, which already has three records: “Tuba, Guitarra & Bateria”(2004), “Evil Things” (2010) and III (2019). All by Clean Feed publisher.
With the various groups he integrates, he performs concerts throughout Portugal and abroad, of which the festivals stand out, for example: Jazz em Agosto (Gulbenkian), European Festival of Porto, Jazz in Serralves, International Festival of Macau, Athens Technopolis Jazz Festival, Jazz au Chellah Rabat, Istanbul Jazz Festival, Summer Stage Festival Central Park NY.
Currently Alexandre Frazão actively participates with the Resistênciagroup, with `TGB´ in the promotion of the new album III, with Tim Tim by Tim Tum (four drum ensemble) and LedOn(tribute to Led Zeppelin).
Alexandre Frazão is a multifaceted musician, who expresses himself in several Jazz languages, as well as in other styles, from Pop Music to Rock or Traditional Portuguese Music to experimental styles, among others, using in an inventive way the various resources of the drums, to express himself with a very elastic design of rhythm and texture.
Frazão says he is constantly influenced by the Music of: Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Ornette Coleman, Egberto Gismonti, Chris Cornell, John Coltrane, Hermeto Pascoal, Keith Jarrett, Rush, Taiguara, Ralph Towner.
And with Drummers like: Max Roach, Jack DeJohnette, John Bonham, Jon Christensen, Roy Haynes, Neil Peart, Philly Joe Jones, Peter Erskine, Joey Baron, Elvin Jones, among many others, his style being the result of these (and others) multiple influences, giving you a multi-faceted way of playing and adaptable to various contexts and styles.
Gallery
Selected discography
(only illustration 10 cds without chronological order or importance)
