Dan Hazlett
Warren, Michigan, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
As I listened to Dan Hazlett's new CD, Water Over Stone, one thought kept popping up: Is there anything this man can't make into a song? And I don't think there is! Hazlett writes about a little bit of everything, from carpet stains to schizophrenia. The result is a CD everyone can enjoy and relate to. Water Over Stone, Dan Hazlett's fifth release, is a combination of folky rock, jazz and the kind of music that makes you smile, laugh, and sing along. It's easy to see why Hazlett has been compared to James Taylor and Bruce Coburn. He's not just a great writer. Dan produces, works as a studio musician, and presents interactive songwriter workshops for people of all ages. Dan's unique vocal styling is paired with excellent guitar playing and thoughtful lyrics. I particularly enjoyed "Fine Old Motor Car" and "This Old Carpet". Each song is a story that unfolds and takes you along for a fun ride. His guitar skills added a great dimension to the original, imaginative lyrics, coming together into a complete package of musicality. - AH
"A slice-of-life singer/songwriter collection, with a strong sense of how to put words together to tug at the heart. Dan's acoustic guitar-heavy sound finds the place where the listener keeps the photos in their head, and gets out a very large lasso (almost literally in the title cut). My two fave cuts are "Boys Playing with Barbies," stating how boys play differently with the doll than girls, and how they like to act . . . er . . . aggressively with Barbies. I know when I was a kid I was known to torture a few Joe's, as well. The final cut, "I've Got Hopes For You," is appropriately soaring "(I've got the echo of a wild loon's cry") with promise. Dan's vocals are soft and stuffy, like warm socks on a cold evening." - Shredding Paper
"I must confess I really enjoy your music, it has a very jazzy touch giving a soft and delightful flavour to your beautiful and clever songs. The voice is always pertinent to the climate as well the arrangements are nicely sparse and different but above all I find you have a very interesting guitar style, it is complex but at the same time it does not seem just a slave of a mere and
cold virtuosity: this surely makes your music richer and sometimes reminds me of the best James Taylor, although the jazz feel surely brings a certain degree of personality." - Radio Voce Spazio "HIghway 61" and "Un Mondo Di Musica"
Recently, I had a chance to see a truly great singer/songwriter. For quite some time I had been hearing good things about Pontiac/Waterford based artist Dan Hazlett. so when I found out he was playing a gig very close to my home, I made it my mission to be there.
I was not the least bit disappointed, as Dan lived up to all the positive things I had heard and read.
At first, the PA was not loud enough and I had a hard time hearing the vocals. When we arrived the crowd consisted mainly of folks enjoying an after-dinner cup of joe. The sound of conversations and whirring coffee/late making implements had to be pretty distracting for Dan.
Once the PA was turned up and a more music-oriented clientele started to replace the jabber-jaws, everything was fine.
Hazlett's passion for his music is obvious. His humor and laid-back, cheerful demeanor make that passion infectious.
One of the marks of a great folk artist is the ability to tune into every day situations and characters, seeing them for everything they are and could be. Dan seems to really have that down pat. He finds much of his inspiration from his family, working his lyrical magic on father/son relationships, his daughter's toys and other family matters. Dan's voice and intricate guitar playing (fit) these themes perfectly.
Near the close of his first set, Hazlett gave props to one of his favorite songwriters, Michael Smith. Dan then covered one of Smith's songs, and Egyptian-themed tune. I always enjoy hearing an artist discuss his or her influences, especially someone of whom the audience may not be aware. And in that spirit I would like to recommend Dan's music to anyone who appreciates honest and witty songwriting. - Jam Rag
Discography
Tumbledown Town Cast Album (2010)
Just A Guitar (2008)
Water Over Stone (2004)
Plugged (2004)
Family Album (2001)
The Hood Ornaments (1998)
Our Little Secret (1996)
Island of Our Song (1994)
Heartland (1992)
Photos
Bio
Dan Hazlett is truly the epitome of a modern day musical Renaissance man – it’s simply impossible to place his body of work into a pre-defined musical niche. A producer, sound engineer, playwright, musician, singer, songwriter, stay-at-home Dad and businessman, Hazlett (pronounced HAZE-let) is an accomplished, polished performer who entertains and uplifts his audiences with a blend of his smooth, soulful voice, his finely honed acoustic guitar work, and his arsenal of well-crafted and thoughtfully presented songs. Weaving in and out of folk, jazz and a Will Rogers style of down-home humor, Dan captivates his listeners with subject matter ranging from the ordinary silliness of everyday life to the unexpected intensity of dramatic interludes. His performances are at once heartwarming and moving, quirky and humorous, and are always presented in Dan’s unique style that appeals to audiences of all ages – and always while wearing his signature red high-top sneakers!
“Dan’s unique vocal styling is paired with excellent guitar playing and thoughtful lyrics. His guitar skills add a great dimension to the original, imaginative lyrics, coming together into a complete package of musicality.” (Andrea Hill, Singer Magazine)
“Dan writes his heart’s stories, weaving them into a lyrical web of beauty, courage, childhood memories, old automobiles and family trees.” (Maggie Ferguson, The Old Front Porch Radio Show / Concert Series Presenter)
For more than 30 years, Dan has performed and toured throughout the Midwest. His seven previously released CDs have received airplay throughout the United States as well as internationally, and have been praised by everyone from musical colleagues to concert hosts to radio DJs. Dan has been nominated multiple times for Detroit Music Awards, and has achieved recognition for his work in events such as the Great Lakes Songwriting Contest, Big Top Chautauqua Songwriting Contest, and the Billboard Songwriting Competition. He has appeared on stage and/or opened for such notables as Chuck Brodsky, Mustard’s Retreat, Cliff Eberhardt, Joel Mabus , Dick Siegel and Jack Williams, and for seven years hosted his own folk radio show, Local Folks, at WXOU-FM (Oakland University). Most recently, Dan performed in a musical production he wrote, Tumbledown Town, which has opened to positive acclaim throughout Michigan. His eighth and latest CD is a Tumbledown Town cast album.
TUMBLEDOWN TOWN - THE PLAY
For anyone looking for a unique and entertaining event, there is Tumbledown Town, a light-hearted, two act musical comedy for the whole family. Presented and performed in much the same manner of radio plays of the past, Tumbledown Town is a small town love story full of intrigue and innuendo, humor, corporate espionage, tragedy and murder most foul. It's an opera, it's folk songs, it's folky opera, it's folkra!
With the cast of four players taking on a total of ten roles, the play focuses on the zany and intriguing events in the lives of the denizens of the small Mid-Western town of Tumbledown. Because of its family-friendly nature and stripped down presentation using no sets and limited props, Tumbledown Town can be performed in a variety of concert settings ranging from any traditional music venue to libraries, churches, Civic Centers or Community and Dinner Theaters.
Synopsis
The residents of Tumbledown, a small Midwestern town with one blinking light, are worried about the rumors they're hearing. Will Tumbledown Town cease to exist as we know it? Is there a killer running amok amongst the locals? Are some folks planning to leave town? Who's got a secret stash of money and where did it come from? These are some of the musical questions asked in the play. Find out the surprising answers when you attend a performance of Tumbledown Town!
To view Tumbledown Town performance videos, go to:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TumbledownTown?feature=mhw4
Band Members
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