Home » Jazz Articles » David Hazeltine
Jazz Articles about David Hazeltine
David Hazeltine and Mike Kaplan: Two Perspectives On Cedar Walton

by David A. Orthmann
Years ago, I often went to a club in which a guest soloist was coupled with the house rhythm section. At one point in nearly every opening set, in an effort to find some common ground, the leader called Cedar Walton's Bolivia." Sitting and waiting in anticipation for the theme to be played became an important part of witnessing each performance. Regardless of who was on the bandstand, Bolivia" never failed to bring out the best in everyone.
Continue ReadingSmoke Sessions: A Threesome from Herring, Jackson, & Hazeltine

by C. Andrew Hovan
With the launch of their own label at the start of 2014, Smoke Jazz Club widened their circle by committing to tape performances by some of New York's finest musicians and dispersing this music via downloads and discs. A decidedly bare bones operation, the in-house production team has done a great job of capturing the ambiance of the room and everything from mastering to graphic design is dedicated to establishing an identity of quality and craftsmanship. ...
Continue ReadingGiovanni Sanguineti with David Hazeltine & Ed Thigpen: Hard to Find - Tribute to LeRoy Vinnegar

by AAJ Italy Staff
Prima di registrare in quartetto il recente Mindfulness, il bassista genovese aveva debuttato da solista con questo tributo a Leroy Vinnegar, condiviso con Ed Thigpen e David Hazeltine. Siamo in presenza di un classico piano trio di chiara estetica mainstream dove il basso del leader si pone in evidenza rispetto ai partner ma senza esagerare. Nato Genova 35 anni fa, Sanguineti ha studiato con Aldo Zunino, si è specializzato con Buster Willams ed ha svolto significative esperienze professionali con Benny ...
Continue ReadingDavid Hazeltine Trio: The Jobim Songbook in New York

by Ernest Barteldes
On this project, pianist David Hazeltine takes on the music of the late Jobim (who would have turned eighty in 2007) by looking at the music from an American point of view, without the typical bossa nova elements. Most of the music presented here is well-known, from The Girl from Ipanema to Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (titled Quiet Nights on the CD), but what Hazeltine does here is augment the classical influence that the songs' writer brought to them. ...
Continue ReadingDavid Hazeltine-George Mraz Trio: Manhattan

by Ken Dryden
Familiarity is a plus on this 2005 studio session by pianist David Hazeltine with bassist George Mraz and drummer Billy Drummond. Drawing most of their program from familiar standards and popular jazz compositions, the three musicians make each of them sound fresh with their brilliant interplay. The influence of Bill Evans is apparent in Hazeltine's approach to Dave Brubeck's In Your Own Sweet Way, with Mraz's intricate bass line and Drummond's finesse on the brushes fueling the ...
Continue ReadingDavid Hazeltine: Modern Standards

by John Dworkin
David Hazeltine is now, and has been for over a decade, an omni-present force in the New York City straight-ahead jazz scene. Through the years, he's played piano and recorded with masters like Curtis Fuller, Jon Hendricks, Slide Hampton. Now with many recordings as a leader to his credit, he still plays many, many dates throughout the year and is as energetic and enthusiastic about the music as most players half his age (not to say that he's old, by ...
Continue ReadingDavid Hazeltine: Modern Standards

by David A. Orthmann
Modern Standards consists of a diverse collection of songs that were written in the second half of the twentieth century. David Hazeltine's arrangements of material by the Beatles, the Bee Gees, Burt Bacharach, Leonard Bernstein, and others for piano, bass, and drums are as important as the improvisations that follow. Although Hazeltine's holistic treatments evince a genuine respect for the melodies--indeed, the pianist frequently weaves snatches of the themes into his solos--there's something almost subversive about the liberties he takes ...
Continue Reading