Indiana State University Newsroom

The David Hazeltine Trio will perform in concert Sunday, Nov. 14, at 2 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the Performing Arts Center as part of the Indiana State University Jazz Artist Series.

Performing with Hazeltine will be bassist Frank Smith and drummer Jason Tiemann. Hazeltine is one of a handful of young pianists who has forged his own distinctive style and musical voice out of the accumulated greatness and weight of a modern piano tradition. His's influences extend from Art Tatum and Bud Powell to such great living masters as Buddy Montgomery, Barry Harris and Cedar Walton.

Hazeltine made his professional debut at age thirteen in Milwaukee, and later worked extensively in and around Chicago and Minneapolis. In Milwaukee, Hazeltine served as house pianist at the famed Jazz Gallery, working with such greats as Charles McPherson, Eddie Harris, Sonny Stitt, Pepper Adams and Chet Baker. Baker encouraged Hazeltine to make his mark in New York.

Since moving to New York in 1992, Hazeltine has made a name for himself as a "musician's musician. Recent credits include work with Freddie Hubbard, James Moody, the Faddis-Hampton-Heath sextet, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, the Louis Hayes Quintet and Marlena Shaw for whom he serves as pianist, arranger and musical director. Recently Hazeltine was spotlighted on Marian McPartland's "Piano Jazz" PBS radio program. He is also a member of the band "One for All" which features rising tenor star, Eric Alexander.

Hazeltine's debut CD "Four Flights Up" featuring Slide Hampton, released in 1996 on the Sharp Nine label, received high praise from critics and musicians alike. Since then he has recorded five more CDs for Sharp Nine, five CDs for the Criss Cross label and in Japan, Hazeltine's four piano trio recordings for the Venus label have contributed to the continuing development of the jazz piano trio.

As a dedicated teacher, Hazeltine's career reflects his intense commitment to the advancement of jazz culture and awareness. In Milwaukee, he was co-founder and director of The Jazz School. In addition, he has been department chairman of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and recently served as associate professor of music at Berklee College of Music.

Photo: http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/photos/1078808935_wV9Wf-D.jpg
David Hazeltine