The singer and violinist has given many impromptu street performances, and he hosts a variety show at Hot & Cool Cafe in Leimert Park.
By Megan Reed
There are some majestic sounds coming from the north/east corner of Crenshaw Boulevard and Stocker Street, right by B & B Mini Mart. Driving by, people may think that somebody is blasting a classic music radio station from the near by homes, or somebody plugged their mobile phone into a speaker.
Those sounds are not prerecorded. It’s coming from Maestro Frazier, who goes by Maestro the Vocalinist. His impromptu performances have caught the attention of many people who drive by that intersection. As he plays, a number of people honk their horns in excitement, many people yell out words of encouragement, and some people even pull out a few dollars to give to him.
Frazier, who is from Chicago, moved to Los Angeles in early 2018, and he has brought his music right to the community. Crenshaw and Stocker has become one of his favorite places.
“I used to change up corners, but somehow this just became my spot,” he said. “I’ve noticed the best place to play when you want to interact with people is near liquor stores. It shows you a true cross-section of not only the neighborhood, but of society. And I prayed on it. I put a desire to be put in a place that was going to be beneficial for me.”
Frazier also hosts a variety show called Maestro Music Monday at Hot & Cool Cafe in Leimert Park from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
“It’s a family-friendly show that features comedians, actors, poets,” he said. “The Hot & Cool Cafe is like my second home now. It’s the first of a series of take over venues. I plan to do a series of community events.”
At the variety show, Frazier has a solo set, and a band typically plays throughout the show. Some of the shows have themes which feature various forms of music and performing arts.
Frazier also passes on his skills to others, as he teaches music privately.
“A lot of kids, particularly melanated children, have the ability, but none of the access,” he said.
Frazier took an interest in the violin as a very young child, and he started taking lessons when he was seven years old. He grew up in the South Side of Chicago, in the neighborhood of Chatham. He played in the Hyde Park Youth Symphony and the Chicago Youth Symphony. In his household, he and his two brothers were involved in a number of activities.
“We had to be well rounded,” he said. “All of us had to have some music, some sports, some church, and we had to be academically strong.”
Frazier is also well rounded musically.
“The violin was the instrument that struck me the most when I was four years old, but it’s not my only instrument,” he said. “I’m a vocalist, not a violinist, which means that I sing and play. I also play the trumpet, and I play the African drum. I learned most of these things as a kid. I’ve been singing my entire life, and I picked up the trumpet when I was in the fifth grade.”
Frazier left Chicago for Atlanta, where he attended Morehouse College. He started out as a music major, and later became an English major.
“I definitely have a love for words, the English language, and sounds,” he said.
While Frazier plays a variety of music and instruments, he considers the music that he writes as what he calls “a neo-classical fusion.”
To stay updated on Frazier’s performances, follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
