David Hazeltine
A master of modern mainstream jazz piano, his sophisticated harmonies and swinging feel have made him a first-call sideman and respected teacher for decades.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American jazz pianist, composer, and educator·Birthday: October 27·Baby Boomers
Biography
David Hazeltine emerged from the vibrant Milwaukee jazz scene, his early talent nurtured by local saxophonist Berkeley Fudge. Moving to New York City in the early 1990s, he quickly integrated into the city's hard-swinging piano tradition, drawing from masters like Cedar Walton and Hank Jones. His crisp touch and architecturally sound solos made him a favorite accompanist for a generation of horn players, from Slide Hampton to Jon Faddis. Beyond the bandstand, Hazeltine built a parallel career as a dedicated educator, shaping his complex harmonic concepts into accessible methods for students. His recorded output as a leader, often featuring his own cleverly constructed compositions, solidified his reputation as a complete musician who values melody, groove, and intelligence in equal measure.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
David was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the house pianist for the classic jazz label Criss Cross, recording numerous albums as a leader and sideman.
- Developed a widely respected pedagogical approach, teaching at institutions like the New School and publishing instructional books.
- Toured and recorded extensively with the all-star collective One for All, contributing to its status as a premier modern jazz sextet.
- His composition 'Mona Lisa' became a standard in the modern jazz repertoire, recorded by numerous other artists.
Did You Know?
He began playing piano professionally in lounges and clubs while still in his early teens in Milwaukee.
He was a member of the jazz-funk group Soulful Strings in the 1970s before dedicating himself to acoustic jazz.
Hazeltine is an avid chess player and often draws parallels between the strategy of the game and jazz improvisation.
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