David Hazeltine George Mraz Trio Manhattan [chesky Sacd 310] {studio Master 2496}

David Hazeltine makes his second contribution to Chesky's acclaimed New York Sessions series with this stunning set of compositions by revered Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim. The combination of the sophisticated elegance of a jazz piano trio, delicate arrangements and Chesky's renowned recording techniques presents Hazeltine (and Jobim) like you've never heard before.

The acclaimed New York saxophonist Javon Jackson leads a celebration of the music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, whose collaboration began in 1938 and continued until Strayhorn's death in 1967. Jackson is joined for this session by arranger/pianist David Hazeltine, bassist Paul Gill and drummer Tony Reedus. Together they perform well-known compositions such as "Caravan," "Chelsea Bridge," and "Lotus Blossom," as well as tunes that are not usually played by quartets such as "In My Solitude." The two soloists, Jackson and Hazeltine explore the bluesier and moodier side of Ellington's music as well as ballads like "Warm Valley" and slightly more up-tempo tunes like "In a Sentimental Mood".

Unlike many young musicians, pianist David Hazeltine paid extensive dues working and recording as a sideman before a productive flurry of dates of his own during the late '90s, as he neared his 40th birthday. This studio session for the Japanese label Venus, with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Louis Hayes, focuses exclusively on the works of Horace Silver.

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.

David Hazeltine is a prolific pianist who releases at least one leader album a year, in addition to his work as a sideman and a member of well-known groups such as One For All. It is astonishing that his numerous CDs are never dull or boring. There is no doubt that he is at the most creative and productive stage of his career. In the past, Hazeltine has released several "songbook" CDs from Venus Records, paying tribute to pianists and composers such as Bill Evans, Bud Powell and Horace Silver. His latest is a Burt Bacharach songbook. As usual, Hazeltine shows off his impressive arranging skills and reimagines such Bacharach classics as "The Look of Love", "Walk on by", "This Guy is in Love", "Alfie" and "Close to You". Hazeltine's crisp and assured piano performance is creatively supported by his bandmates and fellow One For All members, David Williams and Joe Farnsworth.

David Hazeltine makes his second contribution to Chesky's acclaimed New York Sessions series with this stunning set of compositions by revered Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim. The combination of the sophisticated elegance of a jazz piano trio, delicate arrangements and Chesky's renowned recording techniques presents Hazeltine (and Jobim) like you've never heard before.

We all have it: that nagging list of things we’ve been meaning to get to, projects we’ve been thinking about for years, goals that we just keep putting off for another day. With The Time Is Now, pianist/composer David Hazeltine decides to finally seize the moment and bring one of his long-delayed dream projects to fruition. The new album, due out October 26 via Smoke Sessions Records, finds one of the top pianists of his generation forging an impeccably swinging partnership with two other masters: bassist Ron Carter and drummer Al Foster.

American jazz pianist and composer David Hazeltine has a history with Criss Cross Jazz.

A little while ago, the British 'Guardian' wrote that ACT was on a mission to sign the best European pianists to its label. Creative virtuosos like Yaron Herman, Leszek Mozdzer and Gwilym Simcock bear witness to the fact that these pianists do not have to come from Scandinavia. And that they don't have to be young is now proven by the Emil Viklicky ACT debut 'Together Again'. The 65 year-old Czech national has perhaps stayed too down-to-earth for us to have discovered him earlier for what he is: the 'patriarch of Czech jazz piano', as the London Evening Standard put it. And 'one of the best contemporary pianists, whose touch, voicing and chords have a lot in common with the grand masters of taste the likes of Tommy Flanagan and Jimmy Rowles,' as the American periodical Jazz Time wrote of him in 2004.