Will Hazlehurst, Bass

Will (Hazel) Hazlehurst  is a senior year college bass player, educator and musician who currently lives in Baltimore, MD. He has toured with numerous local and internationally recognized jazz ensembles, and has had the fortune to play with notable figures such as Sean Jones, Wycliffe Gordon, Pharez Whitted, John Faddis, Christian Scott, Kurt Elling, Warren Wolf, Tim Green, Joe Farsnworth, Mark Whitfield Sr, Orrin Evans and Julius Rodriguez.

Will started classical piano lessons at the age of three, winning and placing in numerous state competitions. He added cello at the age of seven, however soon switched to bass – without the knowledge of his parents.

Will discovered Jazz in 8th grade, realizing a form of music that he soon grew to love. In grade ten, He began to receive recognition, making All Region, All State, and All National Jazz Ensembles. He followed up this success with a National Young Arts Foundation – Honorable Mention, an Outstanding Bassist award at the prestigious Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition, and was selected to participate in the second and third annual NYO Jazz ensemble. With NYO Jazz, Will toured Asia, participating in cultural exchange activities with youth from Taiwan and China. Highlights of the tour included the first ever Jazz performance at Beijing’s National Center for the Performing Arts, and an intimate performance at Jazz at Lincoln Center-Shanghai.