SAXOPHONIST Dean Fraser was at music producer Phillip ‘Fattis’ Burrell’s side during the 1990s when the latter’s Xterminator label enjoyed its most fruitful period.

Burrell, who helped nurture the careers of many an artiste including roots singers Luciano and Sizzla, died December 3 at the University Hospital of the West Indies in St Andrew. He was 57.

Yesterday, Fraser remembered Burrell as a producer “who loved to experiment and broaden his productions”. He said they had recently worked together with one of Xterminator’s promising acts.

The sessions took place at the Anchor, which is the recording studio of fellow producer Gussie Clarke. This was where Burrell cut some of his most memorable songs with Luciano, Sizzla and Cocoa Tea.

In fact, Fraser said Cocoa Tea and Beres Hammond were among the first acts he worked with for Xterminator. Those sessions yielded songs like Good Life which was done by Cocoa Tea, and Full Attention and Love Means Never To Say I’m Sorry — big hits for Hammond.

“After that, he (Burrell) got the real roots vibe going with people like Luciano, Mikey General and Jesse Jendau,” Fraser recalls. “Then came Sizzla.”

Prior to working with Cocoa Tea and Hammond, Burrell had tasted considerable success with Ini Kamoze producing his big-selling Here Comes The Hotstepper. One Way Ticket was one of his first hits with Luciano, but in 1995, they hit pay dirt with the album Where There Is Life.

Distributed by Chris Blackwell’s Island Jamaica Records, Where There Is Life was produced by Burrell. It contained the anthems, It’s Me Again Jah and Lord Give Me Strength, as well as the radio favourites Who Could It Be, Your World and Mine and Good God.

Burrell also produced Luciano’s follow-up album, The Messenger.

Fraser says Burrell was at his peak as a producer in the 1990s.

“He had a good ear for good music. He loved good artistes and his listening area was broad,” Fraser explained. “He loved Motown, loved Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson….”

Luciano and Burrell parted ways in the late 1990s. Sizzla became the top act in the Xterminator camp, releasing strong songs like Praise Ye Jah and How Dem a Wonder.

Burrell had taken a break from the music business in recent years, but according to Fraser, he had recently got back into the swing of things.

“Him wanted to come back in a wicked way,” Fraser said.

Phillip ‘Fattis’ Burrell established Xterminator in the 1980s. In addition to the aforementioned artistes, he worked with top acts like Capleton, Sanchez and Garnet Silk.