James Fraschetti

James Fraschetti

James Fraschetti - Pianist/Composer

Born Jan. 30, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois

I am the son of United States Coast Guard retired, playing by ear at 6 years old on a magnus organ, started piano lessons at 8 years old in Fire Island, NY. Later on moved to the country hamlet Higgins in Centerville NY, where my parents started a small farm. I graduated high school from Fillmore NY.

In 1982, began studies in Music Composition and Piano Performance at the Fredonia School of Music, SUNY Fredonia NY, winning the Basic Studies Division Award for Excellence in Music Composition, graduating with a BA in 1987.

Between 1986 to 1992, I freelanced as Church musician, organist, choir director for Roman Catholic; Spanish Baptist Missions; Church of Christ, Scientist; Lutheran; and accompanied for lessons and recitals at the University and abroad. When I graduated from Fredonia in 1987, the instruments that I was using at the time include a spinet piano, full rank pipe organ, and 9 ft heavy action concert grand and electric organ at the Peace Bridge Spanish Baptist Mission in Buffalo, NY. A spinet piano and Rodger's Electronic Pipe Organ that was used by the theatre in Buffalo before St. John's Lutheran Church bought it. A hammond organ at the Church of Christ, Scientist. A Steinway Baby Grand at the Presbyterian Church on Elmwood Ave. in Buffalo. A modern electric organ, and upright piano at The West Main Spanish Baptist Mission in Dunkirk, NY, This I consider the main reason for my success throughout my career afterwards.

I moved to Buffalo NY near where my parents and grandparents are from, the West Side, and soon I was introduced to Van Taylor in 1990. Van gave me his first job as arranger and keyboardist for The Lance Diamond Show. Lance was from near where I grew up in school, my father worked in Arcade. This band and singer went on to win Buffalo Music Awards three years in a row, as well as featuring on Buffalo Children's Hospital Telethon, with myself on keyboards, Van Taylor on 2nd keyboards, Lance Diamond as Front Vocalist, Bill Texido on guitar, Tony Blasting on bass, Robin Wilson singing on drums.

http://youtu.be/3NHexjgQ_HM

http://youtu.be/VBBR0FUgNJk

Later, I moved to Birmingham Alabama in 1992 and was immediately introduced to the r&b funk soul band Musical Etceteras, whom played for almost completely black audiences on the chittlin circuit. I was playing keyboards and also as feature soloist and sideman for Willie Clayton. This group played the entire Southeastern United States, and gave great exposure of my talent and expertise. With myself and David Camon on keyboards, Anthony Howse on guitar, Pim Jones on bass, Kevin Scott on drums.

In 1993, I moved to New Orleans and met with Al Ancar and Premier Motown Review, who broadcasted their show on Cox Cable Network Television. Al has been making records and arrangements with me for over 20 years now! Al Ancar later introduced me the next year to Lee Bates and Cool Connection near the Bourbon Street, French Quarters area (Basin Street), whose recordings with Allan and Reginald Toussaint at the Sea Saints recording studio led us to play also at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 1995. Mr. Toussaint told me in his studio that my spirit is "like Mick Jagger's". Al Ancar's Premier features Anthony Mimms, Randy and himself on vocals, Ben Williams on bass, myself and Marty on keyboards, and Walter Allen on drums.

http://youtu.be/f2XF_CFl74w

I have been playing organ and choir director for the Episcopal Church since 1994 except for my years in the hotel business. My career in the Episcopal Church started in what was a Greek Orthodox Cathedral, the St. Luke's Episcopal Church complete with full rank electronic organ, baby grand piano, and full choir, making recitals and recordings for sale of the presentations offered there. Father Cyprian William Fields was being the rector who sponsered my talent, and made me famous. Later, after settling in Ponce in 2001, I started my organist duties at the Santissima Trinidad Episcopal church on Marina street, where I still am every Sunday at 10am!

Later, I moved to Puerto Rico in April 1996 and was discovered by Leyla Zahar's Raks Habibi Bellydancing Ensemble, producing musical arrangements and recordings for the Hello WAPA Show, channel 4 in 1997. Musical lineup includes myself on keyboard and drum arrangements, Carol Roldan as Lead Vocalist, Bob Ritchie on guitar, Tony Makari on dumbek. Bellydancers include Leyla Zahar, Sandralis, Sandra, Cariceli, Nazirah, and Helena Irons.

http://youtu.be/qXwMPIkXxBo

http://youtu.be/Jz1bbtWGDpQ

Also at this time I was playing keyboards all over the island of Puerto Rico for the 80's band Club Soda. Meeting every weekend with some of the most prominent talents in town, including Alex Bonrod on Lead Vocals, Javier Hernandez on guitar, Josito, also known now as Alexander Perez Santiago on drums, Miguel Lopez on bass, Joe Cedeno replacing on drums, Manfred on bass, myself on keyboards. I was also playing classical harpsicord, organ, and piano with Coro Sinfonico de Puerto Rico, James Rawie conducting. Featured in these videos of this choir, I'm playing piano keyboards with the Banda Municipal de Ponce.

http://youtu.be/LyTh0tFLqMM

http://youtu.be/AxNNbr6VHEk

http://youtu.be/HqG9GoUh4NU

http://youtu.be/SR1yblDhYuU

After this, I met the legendary Aldo Matta at the San Juan Grand in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico in 1998, playing piano bar for the most lucrative tourism attraction in history to that date, called Flagship, producing recordings there as collector's items. Richard Abati was the general manager, Rick Newman as operations manager; includes F&B managers Sheila Hernandez, Ivan Sotomayor, and Miguel Molina, and bartenders Lynette Chico, and Norris, whom has written some songs with me on my Reverbnation and Myspace. Later on I freelanced in restaurants all around Ponce, Cabo Rojo, Fajardo and the San Juan metropolitan area.

https://www.reverbnation.com/control_room/artist/434306/preferences#!/control_room/artist/434306/songs

I was later discovered at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan in 1999 by percussionist and record producer Sabu Rosado, whose demo with him caught the ear and attention of (and introduced me to) Sting's promoter and executive manager, Miles Copeland. This song is a hit on Desert Roses 2 called "Yala Habibi"! Many live and television shows crafted a unique style to our playing. Musicians with Sabu includes myself and Lucca Silveira on keyboards, Falto Cintron on reeds and sequencer, Hector Matos, Ritchie Carau and Rafi Moreno on drums, Don Lugo on guitar, Tomas Rodriguez on vocals and computer sequencer, Junior Irrizary on bass, Luszelle and Aldo Matta on vocals.

http://youtu.be/9SbxNhzZZ78

I met a nice young Dominican girl during this time...drove her around certain places. Very pretty, thought she could sing. La Rubia Que Canta y Encanta made her debuts around town with me, later on establishing her name as one of the top singers and performers in San Juan of all time. Our stint at the Empress Hotel in Isla Verde lasted from 2000-2006, ending in a famous federal court room battle that the hotel lost due to lack of music licences. We met some very important people there, including World Wrestling Federation wrestlers, and MTV parties. A real gag that Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez currently own the abandoned premises. Daisy Jimenez moved on to Houston Texas recently, winning the Paoli Premio in Orlando Florida recently, now she's finishing her first debut video!

http://youtu.be/1taRL5QxTZE

Finally I was discovered in 2007 by salseros at the Cuna de Bomba and Plena, Ponce Puerto Rico. Starting a salsa and merengue show with Philadelphia famous Puertorican Sonny Silva, different live salsa groups, and later to be introduced to Irving Cancel in the back streets of Ponce. At the El Sarabanda, starting a trio of a fusion of cool jazz, beebop, and latin jazz to form the ensemble of what it is today! Now we are currently playing Heineken Jazz Festivals, and restaurants and private activities in San Juan, and the southern area of Puerto Rico. Also recently we are featured in the Raul PM show with Raul Carbonell on channel 6 in San Juan! Irving Cancel's Lineup includes myself on piano, Irving Cancel on bass, Joe Laboy on drums.

http://youtu.be/qQ-bkb7JgEA

http://youtu.be/mvdtPT8Vj_c

http://youtu.be/O0XTRlVC0b4