David Hazeltine © J. Abbott

 Noted for adventurous arrangements, rhythms, and harmonies, as well as swinging, melodic original compositions, New York pianist David Hazeltine brings both a reverence for tradition and a unique inventive spirit to the bandstand. And that bandstand will be at the Artists Quarter in St. Paul this holiday weekend, May 22-24.

David Hazeltine is no stranger to the Twin Cities or the AQ, having spent his childhood and early career in the Midwest. A native of Milwaukee, Hazeltine fell in love with jazz when his mother gave him a Jimmy Smith recording. He played his first professional gig (on organ) at age 13 (weekends at a neighborhood Italian restaurant), switching to piano at 15. "Stylistically, I think there are a lot more possibilities on the piano," said Hazeltine. "All the variations in touch on the piano make it a much more interesting instrument for me." However, music was not his first priority, and through high school he was intent on a career in electrical engineering. At the last minute, he says, he decided to switch to music school.

Returning permanently to New York City in the early 1990s, Hazeltine started playing at the old Star Café in the company of Junior Cook and Curtis Fuller, then went on the road with John Hendricks. Later he played with his "Classic Trio" (drum legend Louis Hayes and bassist Peter Washington), as well as serving as sideman for Freddie Hubbard, James Moody, the Faddis-Hampton Sextet, Slide Hampton Big Band, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and Marlena Shaw, for whom he also served as arranger and musical director. Recently, Hazeltine was the guest artist on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz. When his touring allows it, Hazeltine has a steady gig at Manhattan's Smoke, where he often plays Hammond B-3 or Fender Rhodes with Jim Rotondi and their jazz/funk quintet, "Electric Band."

Also heavily involved in jazz education, David Hazeltine was co-founder and director of The Jazz School in Milwaukee, and the Program Coordinator of Jazz Studies (later Department Chairman) at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. More recently, he served as Associate Professor at the Berklee College of Music,

and is currently on the faculty of SUNY- Purchase.

Hazeltine's first recording as leader in 1996 (Four Flights Up, Sharp Nine) featured Slide Hampton, and received wide acclaim from critics and musicians. His American recordings have included discs for Sharp Nine and Criss Cross, while in Japan, he has released six trio recordings for Venus, including tributes to Bill Evans (Waltz For Debby) and Horace Silver (Senor Blues). Today, Hazeltine has 23recordings as leader to his credit, including a series with the collaborative ensemble, One for All, which includes Eric Alexander, Steve Davis, Jim Rotondi, Joe Locke, and Joe Farnsworth.

David Hazeltine © Andrea Canter

Hazeltine's most recent recordings(including Inspiration Suite on Sharp Nine) show off his penchant for adventurous harmonies and rhythms, with echoes of Art Tatum, Bill Evans, and Cedar Walton, straddling the worlds of hard bop and 21^st century invention. In addition to pianists (including Barry Harris, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, and Buddy Montgomery), however, Hazeltine cites legendary saxophonists-- Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Joe Henderson, Sonny Rollins, Cannonball Adderley and Eddie Harris-- as key influences. "I really like the freedom of a horn. I like the things that they can do melodically and expressively, almost like a voice, that a piano just can't possibly do. They have profound melodic rhythmic shapings to their lines." As a composer, Hazeltine particularly cites the influence of fellow Milwaukeen, Buddy Montgomery, whom he used to tape at live gigs in his hometown: "He approaches the piano melodically like a vibes player, which he is also, and you know Buddy is one of the most profound writers that I know."

Noted Aaron Steinberg in Jazz Times, "A player and writer with great respect for the melody, Hazeltine can be surprisingly inventive with the harmonic and rhythmic possibilities in a tune. Unobtrusive yet frequently exciting, Hazeltine always sounds as if he is digging what he's playing, and his approach makes well-known tunes sound fresh."

David Hazeltine appears at the Artists Quarter Friday-Sunday nights, May 22-24; two sets from 9 pm on Friday/Saturday, from 8 pm on Sunday; $15 cover. The Artists Quarter is located in the lower level of the historic Hamm Building at 7th Place and St. Peter, in downtown St. Paul; (651) 292-1359; visit www.artistsquarter.com. Quotes from interview with Bruce Crowther, All About Jazz unless otherwise noted. For more information about David Hazeltine, see his website at www.davidhazeltine.com

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