Ballads and Blues Volume II David Hazeltine

• 1 Deceptively Blue 05:22
• 2 My Buddy's Blues 05:29
• 3 A Day In The Life of a Fool 05:42
• 4 Last Waltz With Mum 06:50
• Total Runtime 23:23

Info for Ballads and Blues Volume II

It has come to my attention that over 40 + years of recording, fans very much appreciate the way that I arrange and perform ballads. I think my love for ballad playing goes back to my early years as a music student and how much I learned about harmony studying the solo piano recordings of the late great Bill Evans. He has a melancholy joyfulness in his approach to ballads and that sound has never left my ear.

At the same time, playing the Blues has always come naturally to me perhaps because I understand the feeling so profoundly. So I had the idea to combine these two aspects of my musical character, and record two EPs of ballads and blues, and with a nod to the late great McCoy Tyner, call it Ballads & Blues

The cats on the recording are some of my favorite musicians in the world. I’ve been playing and recording with Neal Miner for decades. His sound, feel, choice of notes, and total dedication to the music make Neal one of the first call bassists in New York. Peter VanNostrand has been part of my trio for the last 6 years plus. Besides loving his sound, beat, and time feel, he is an incredibly musical drummer who not only plays the piano (I’ve given him a few lessons) but writes and arranges his own music. When I bring new music into a recording session, I don’t have to say much to Pete, he always plays the right thing at the right time.

David Hazeltine is one of a handful of contemporary pianists who has mastered improvisation, technique, accompaniment, arranging, and composition. He is also the rare artist able to innovate in each category.

He is the most recorded contemporary jazz pianist of our time, having recorded 35 CDs as a leader and hundreds more as a sideman, on various major labels globally.

David Hazeltine, piano
Neal Miner, bass
Pete Van Nostrand, drums

David Hazeltine
is one of a handful of contemporary pianists who has mastered all of the major musical skills, from improvisation and technique, to accompaniment, arranging, and composition. Even more impressive, David is the rare artist able to innovate in each category. Thus it’s no surprise that he’s the most recorded contemporary jazz pianist of our time, having recorded thirty five cd’s as a leader and hundreds more as a sideman, on various major labels globally. A Milwaukee native, David was playing the clubs as a preteen, and before he’d even come of age he was already grabbing the attention and respect of jazz legends like Sonny Stitt, and Chet Baker. They urged him to make the move to New York City, which he did in 1992.

The mark of a true artist, David’s style appeals to a wide range of musical tastes and levels of sophistication. His melodies and harmonies are beautifully complex and memorable. As a composer and instrumentalist, he has developed a signature style that is readily recognizable. His cooperative group “One For All” featuring tenor great Eric Alexander, has attained critical acclaim with their impressive 16 cd discography, and live concerts worldwide including appearances at the North Sea Jazz Festival and the Newport Jazz Festival.

Hazeltine is one of the most sought after pianists today. He has worked with some of the world’s most respected jazz legends including James Moody, Eddie Harris, Jon Faddis, Joe Henderson, Pepper Adams, Jon Hendricks, and Marlena Shaw. David is known for taking a familiar or unexpected song and making it new, making it his own. He effortlessly transfers this skill from song to stage. Whether he’s composing or interpreting, accompanying or leading, you are certain to end the set remembering the sounds of David Hazeltine.

A brilliant teacher, David is also determined to carry the art forward to the next generation. Formerly an Associate Professor at Berklee, he currently teaches at SUNY-Purchase in New York. David is also a highy skilled clinician, and has served on the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Camp faculty for the past 15 years. His teaching has had a major impact on many of today’s young professional pianists including Ben Markley, who published his doctorite “The David Hazeltine Method” based on his lessons with Mr. Hazeltine. Hal Leonard has published the new “Real Book - Enhanced Edition”, featuring David’s own re-harmonizations of 200 well known standards.

This album contains no booklet.