Fraser MacPherson

John Fraser MacPherson was born in Winnipeg on April 10 1928. He was raised in Victoria, BC and he played clarinet as a youth under the influence of traditional New Orleans jazz, and then took up alto and tenor saxophone. He studied in New York in 1956-57. MacPherson worked for 20 years in local nightclubs, among them the Palomar (1950-4, and the Cave (1961-3. He was a first-call studio musician and beginning in 1958, played saxophone with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. MacPherson pursued his jazz career largely on CBC radio and TV, first as a member of the Ray Norris Quintet and later as a featured sideman with Chris Gage and others. He was heard on alto saxophone in the West Coast style on ‘Jazz Workshop’ and 1963-4 with a string orchestra in a CBC series of his own. In 1975 MacPherson formed a trio and the first LP was issued under
MacPherson’s own West End label. It showcased his controlled, elegant tenor style, leading to a career on the international jazz stage. In 1978, with Overture Concerts, he made the first of an unprecedented four tours in the USSR in 1981, 1984, and 1986. He performed at most of the major festivals including the du Maurier Ltd International Jazz Festival Vancouver. He recorded his album In the Tradition in November 1991 with his quintet. MacPherson remained a favourite on CBC radio jazz shows, among them ‘Jazz Radio-Canada’ and ‘Jazz Beat,” He taught at Douglas College, New Westminster, and the Vancouver Community College. The Pacific Music/Fraser MacPherson Music Scholarship Fund assists young instrumentalists. As the first Canadian to record with the Concord Jazz label, and through his tours of the USSR, MacPherson contributed much to awareness of Canadian jazz musicians internationally. He died in Vancouver Sepember 27 1993.