I have had some good success with my straight ahead jazz recordings, besides my contemporary stuff. After all, it is my first love and I grew up listening to the likes of Blue Mitchell, Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, and of course Miles Davis. I started trumpet when I was eight years old in summer band, and in middle and high school band I always played the solo chair in stage band, but for concert band I switched around from flute to sousaphone, to french horn, and whatever....later on I picked up trombone and electronic valve instrument, so I guess that set me up to be a unique doubler on a variety of wind instruments.....
My Come Out Swingin' album lodged itself on the JazzWeek mainstream charts (the bible for jazz radio) for eight weeks, a pretty long run by most standards! It had a really swinging track from a relative unknown vocalist at the time -Michael Bublé- with whom I would go on to work beside for several years. He even performed in my big band....
My second mainstream album was called Swingin' Affair, a title I thought was somewhat original, but which I later found out was also a Sinatra album- oh well, the concept was consistent and you can't fault ol' Blue Eyes!
My friend and jazz promoter Willi Germann always signs off with 'Swing Gently Always', but my mantra is 'Swing Hard Always!'
Here are some sample tracks from my straight ahead stuff, which can all be found at GabrielJazz.com or directly from WindtunnelRecords.com, physical copies and downloads.
Speaking of Bublé, I am offering a free unreleased bonus track I recorded with him as a tribute to Sinatra, but it never really saw the light of day ..... it is oh so sweet, though! It's yours free with either album, full download or disc.
Senor Blues (on trumpet)
I've Got You Under My Skin (on flugelhorn with Bublé)
Blue Miles (on trombone and trumpet)
Kiss To Build A Dream On (on trumpet and vocal)
You Don't Know What Love Is (on alto flute and trumpet)
Blue Bossa (on trombone and trumpet)
Slow Hot Wind (on alto flute and trumpet)
Nutville (on trumpet, trombone, and flute)
El Tapatico (on flute and trumpet)
To Say Goodbye [Pra Dizer Adeus] (on alto flute)
Kiss Me Baby (on trumpet)
I Love You (on trumpet)
Angel Eyes (on flugelhorn)
COME OUT SWINGIN'
"...a jazz master class.... if you are looking for an amazing collection of well performed jazz pieces, this is your album." Bob D'Eith [The Voice]
This is a rich, fantastic jazz album featuring the seductive horns of Gabriel Mark Hasselbach. Sandy Shore/ SmoothJazz.com "On previous recordings, Vancouver instrumentalist Mark Hasselbach has lingered ...in a place that doesn't show what he can do. On this CD he opens things up shows superb tone on on both flute and trumpet." Marke Andrews [Vancouver Sun]
"Come Out Swingin' is a fine recording of mainstream jazz; Hasselbach clearly understands the genre, and so does his crack quartet..... Multi-instrumentalists often sound capable on their instruments, but rarely exceptional; Hasselbach demonstrates a command on each and every one of his chosen instruments that is impressive..... fans of more mainstream jazz will be impressed by the approach Hasselbach has taken to a set of well-worn standards; in his hands they are well-worth revisiting." John Kelman JazzReview.com
"Hasselbach embraces his music totally in his ability to transform his musical ideas intelligently for the discerning ears of the listener in clear, cogent, musical language.....without resorting to technique-oriented double talk. He offers his listeners the essence of the finer elements of jazz, delivered to our ears for sensuous pleasure. What an nice surprise...." George W.Carroll ejazz news
"Hasselbach has assembled a collection of standards and originals [and] gives them extremely listenable treatments..... 'You Don't Know What Love Is' remains my favourite ..... Hasselbach brings exceptionally cool flute to it and infuses a detached tone that still isn't devoid of emotion. It broods and hovers .... I liked the sense of space created .... room to remind anyone over-familiar with it just how lovely it is. I think it is a tribute to any musician or band if they can extract another shade of blue from this old-timer and still leave the listener wanting to hear it again .... they do that. Throughout the tracks there is plenty of meaty soloing from GMH in particular, purposefully constructed and full of ideas .. very much to discover and enjoy here. [Paul Donnelly U.K. Press]
Performance: 5, Sound: 4, “Hasselbach plays a very sweet melodic trumpet. He also plays flugelhorn, flute, trombone and evi. The music, a combination of classics with a couple of originals really swings. "Angel Eyes" shows Gabriel's romantic side. Miles Black tickles the ivories, standing out on "Blue Miles". Craig Scott plays drums with Miles Foxx Hill on bass. Guest vocalist Michael Buble' rounds out the session on a nice arrangement of "I've Got You Under My Skin". The variety of approaches and strong arrangements make an inviting set that you'll want to listen to repeatedly.... “ [O's Place Jazz Newsletter]
SWINGIN' AFFAIR
“Love the CD Swingin' Affair! Very excited to play it for our listeners. What a service to bring this level of jazz to a large geographic area in the middle of the USA!” Mary Palmer Music Director High Plains Public Radio/KANZ
"Here's a musician who has been branded with a number of musical styles. With nine CDs behind him, Gabriel Mark Hasselbach shows great versatility. Having heard of his reputation as a smooth-jazz performer, I was pleasantly surprised to hear Swingin' Affair that is very much in the time-honored jazz mainstream. It swings!
Born in Denver, Colorado, the multi-instrumentalist makes his home on Canada's west coast, specifically Vancouver, British Columbia. On this CD, Hasselbach recruited two Vancouver vocalists to share the studio session. The British Columbia born Nancy Ruth and the California born Dee Daniels are well known in Canada for their CDs. Nancy Ruth's It's Got To Be Love and Dee Daniels' Love Story and Feel So Good were very well received by both critics and jazz fans.
Hasselbach is the epitome of versatility. He plays flute, alto flute, trumpet, flugelhorn and valve trombone. The surprise is that he seamlessly switches and makes each axe appear as his favorite. Hasselbach is also part of Powder Blues, a band that Canadians and the rest of the world have loved since 1978.
From the opening strains of Horace Silver's "Senor Blues" to the closer, Satchmo's "A Kiss To Build A Dream On", the Hasselbach quartet cooks passionately. The group's reading of "Easy Living" is, to this reviewer, a showpiece. Hasselbach switches back and forth between muted trumpet and alto flute. The soloist's fresh approach rivals the appeal of my longtime favorite version by John Lewis and Bill Perkins.
Gabriel Mark Hasselbach's talents stretch out into the world of composition. His Latin tinged "El Tapatico" is both exciting and memorable. Vocalist Dee Daniels and Hasselbach collaborated on "Kiss Me Baby." The fiery, rocker is a great vehicle for Daniel's four octave chops. Pianist Andy Weyl and the rhythm section get a workout.
Swingin' Affair has been in the house for three weeks and is already a favorite. It's a flawless performance by a group that's "very-together." Rating:Five Stars JazzReview.com