Gabriel Mark Hasselbach has spent his career refusing to put his music into a single category. The Juno Award-winning Vancouver-based trumpeter, flugelhornist and flutist moves comfortably between straight-ahead jazz and contemporary jazz, and his recent work has highlighted both sides of his musical personality.
Earlier this year, Hasselbach released MidCentury Modern Vol. 4, the latest installment in his long-running series devoted to the classic jazz tradition. Released by Windtunnel Records in April, the 20-track collection features standards associated with jazz giants including Freddie Hubbard, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, along with two Hasselbach originals.
The album also showcases Hasselbach's versatility as a multi-instrumentalist. He plays trumpet, flugelhorn, flute and valve trombone and also contributes vocals, while serving as the album's producer.
Seven-time GRAMMY-winning trumpeter Randy Brecker praised the project, calling it “a first rate cast of characters” and highlighting its execution from beginning to end.
For Hasselbach, MidCentury Modern Vol. 4 represents something particularly personal. He has described the album as his “legacy project,” an opportunity to explore the straight-ahead jazz that remains at the foundation of his musical identity.
One of the album's original compositions, “Coming Home for Mardi Gras,” draws from Hasselbach's formative years living and playing in New Orleans, adding a personal touch to an album otherwise rooted heavily in the jazz canon.
At the same time, Hasselbach has continued developing his contemporary jazz career. His collaboration with Billboard chart-topping guitarist Chris Standring, “Swizzle Stick,” combines the musicians' polished contemporary styles with a strong groove and accessible melodic approach.
Released through Standring's Ultimate Vibe Recordings, the track was co-written and co-produced by the two musicians and received airplay as it made its way onto the contemporary jazz charts.
Hasselbach has appeared on the Billboard contemporary jazz chart 11 times, and his partnership with Standring demonstrates how naturally he moves between traditional jazz vocabulary and the smoother, groove-oriented sound of contemporary jazz.
His recent activity has extended beyond recording. Inkwell Publishing released his instructional guide Top Tip Masterclass Jazz Trumpet, a compact handbook designed to help both beginning and experienced trumpet players improve their technique and approach to the instrument.
Rather than concentrating simply on what to play, Hasselbach focuses on how to play, drawing on decades of experience as a performer and educator.
“I had a strong calling to help up-and-comers bypass the trials and challenges of the trumpet,” Hasselbach said. “I wanted to help fast track the rewards and increase the fun quotient while keeping attrition low.”
With those three projects—MidCentury Modern Vol. 4, “Swizzle Stick” and Top Tip Masterclass Jazz Trumpet—Hasselbach has recently offered three different perspectives on his career: the traditionalist, the contemporary jazz artist and the educator.
And there is more music ahead. Hasselbach is working on Le Trompette Bleu, a bluesy contemporary jazz album that will combine his original compositions with reimagined versions of songs including John Lee Hooker and Miles Davis' “End Credits,” Marvin Gaye's “Inner City Blues,” Norman Brown's “Pop's Cool Groove” and War's “Slippin' Into Darkness.”
Born in Denver and now based in Vancouver, Hasselbach has earned multiple Juno Awards and has performed or recorded with artists including Michael Bublé, Bob James, Jeff Lorber, Paul Brown, Greg Manning and Darren Rahn. His international festival appearances have taken him to Australia, Canada, Europe, Mexico, South Africa and Japan.
What ties the different sides of Hasselbach's work together is his refusal to treat straight-ahead and contemporary jazz as opposing worlds. For him, they are simply different expressions of the same musical foundation.
Whether he's interpreting a Monk standard, laying down a contemporary groove with Chris Standring or helping the next generation of trumpet players find their voice, Hasselbach continues to move comfortably between tradition and modern jazz without abandoning either.
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