Remembering Eddie Hazell - Jazz Guitarist Extaordinaire!

guildman63

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2010
Messages
2,996
Reaction score
20
Location
Massachusetts
As a 12 year old back in 1976 I began taking guitar lessons with a guy that was recommended to me by the parents of a classmate and friend of mine. Eddie, or Mr. Hazell, as I knew him as, was a jazzer that performed regularly in and around the NYC area on weekends. During the week and on Saturday mornings and afternoons he would drive from home to home giving guitar lessons.


Mr. Hazell would arrive at my house, always dressed like he was going out to a dinner party. He would sit down in my parents' living room, pull out his guitar, which in later years was an L5, and before that was a vintage, pre-Guild Epiphone archtop, and proceed to warm up by ripping off some amazing single-note runs for a few minutes. We would then review the tune that was assigned the prior week with me first playing the chords, and then with Mr. Hazell playing the chords while I played the melody or improvised. If I practiced the tune adequately (which was rare as I was a pre-teen and teen, and it was jazz) then the tune would get two check marks. If part of it still needed work he would write "needs work", then we would move on to a new tune. For this new tune Mr. Hazell would open to a blank page, and proceed to write out that tune note for note, and with no mistakes, as fast or faster than I would write a letter. Then, on the few occasions when I had a specific tune I wanted worked out I would simply play it on the stereo, and in the time it took to play the full song with no more than two or three brief pauses, every chord and the full melody and solos would be committed to his memory. He would then sit down and write out the tune just as quickly as if it were a jazz tune he had been playing for years. One example of this is the tune Ramblin', by Marshall Tucker Band.


Many years passed, and then during the Christmas season two years ago while visiting my parents in Florida I decided to look up Mr. Hazell online, and get in touch with him if able. I was sad to discover that Eddie had passed just one year earlier in 2010. What was worse is that I am now a huge jazz fan, and I never saw him play live, and never got to thank him for all of his time, efforts, and incredible patients in trying to teach a young kid jazz guitar. I also discovered that this well-dressed, and very down-to-earth guitar teacher was much more than met the eye, and I discovered this by reading a book on his life and career titled "Someone Out There Is Listening", by Ed Petkus.


In the several years I took lessons wit Mr. Hazell I never had any idea how accomplished he was, and how much he gave up professionally to be with his wife and to see his kids grow up. Although, as the father of an 8 year old there is nothing I can imagine being more important to me than seeing my son grow up, so perhaps it was not such a sacrifice after all. I am just finishing his biography, and I am happy for my years learning from Mr. Hazell, and I am glad to finally be discovering his music, and to be realizing just how good of a musician, husband, and father Eddie really was. I have two of his recordings and hope to find more.


On a final note, it is Mr. Hazell that is directly responsible for me being here on LTG, and for me devoting so much time and money to Guild guitars. When I asked for Eddie to find me an ES-335, he brought me a Starfire V. Then when I asked him to find me an ES-175 he brought me a CE-100D. Each time Eddie would tell me that these guitars were every bit the quality of their Gibson predecessors, and clearly he knew something that I wish more people would discover.


Following is a link to Eddie Hazell's obituary, followed by a youtube clip I recently found. I hope you all enjoy this video, and when listening try to imagine Eddie sitting in your living room every Saturday morning/afternoon and playing just like this as he warmed up. I have great memories of those days, but was unfortunately not "listening" at that time as much as I wish that I had been.


Someone out there is definitely listening now, and better late than never.


http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/njherald/obituary.aspx?n=eddie-hazell&pid=146503373&fhid=11740


http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3jL9up4dbxs
 

zizala

Member
Silver Supporting
Joined
May 9, 2009
Messages
439
Reaction score
248
Location
CT, USA
A very touching remembrance, David....

This is what this conjures up for me....

I was a saxophone player in my earlier days and had a wonderful 77 year old teacher named Joe Sebastian in 1973-74 if I remember right.
I was going to Berklee in the fall and needed someone to help get me ready in the previous summer.
He talked about and demonstrated sound generation and style with ease and mentioned many names of players from his earlier days. Great musicians I became aware in the years after I moved on, but just a bunch of names to me at that age.

I would have liked so much to have gone back to talk about how I'd later discovered so much that he had told me about and taught me. But at that time I was still too young to appreciate (and keep up with) it all.
Anyway he's long passed on and I remember him fondly....but always with that twinge of regret that I wasn't a bit older when we first met. I would have listened to Lester Young with him....thats what I wish we could do.

I remember him asking if I'd ever thought of taking up the guitar. He wanted teach me some of that too, said it would be a worthwhile and useful double....it seems odd because piano has always been the music student's tool of choice. I also remember thinking......"why would I want to learn guitar?......I'm a sax player!"
Stupid kid! It seems Joe must have seen into the future.....or saw it coming......:untroubled:

Memories your post stirs up in me.

....and I really enjoyed that clip.....he's reminded me how much work I need on my right hand!

Thanks!

Diane
 
Last edited:

fronobulax

Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
24,708
Reaction score
8,836
Location
Central Virginia, USA
Guild Total
5
Thanks for the tribute.

Part of the story reminds me of a friend's father who played jazz piano. The friend and I had just discovered the Allman Brothers in the early '70's and we were wearing out the vinyl playing the live version of 'Elizabeth Reed. The friend's dad sat down, broke down the song structure, analyzed the progressions, chords and some of the key elements of the solos. It was eye opening because we had no idea his dad could do that (Pro tip to teenagers - never underestimate your parents) and it made it clear just what was innovative in the song/performance and what was just based upon building blocks that every musician should know.
 

The Guilds of Grot

Enlightened Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2006
Messages
9,547
Reaction score
4,716
Location
New Jersey Shore
Guild Total
117
When I was eight years old my Father signed me up for guitar lessons at a local music store named appropriately enough Music Town. After renting a cheap Danolectric he decided to buy me a real guitar. A Guild.

Me-02-24-67.jpg


My second teacher was an elder gentleman named Pete Rosa. I don't know his story other then he was a great guitarist and had to quit performing due to the onset of arthritis in his fingers. He turned to teaching as a way to stay in the music biz. I only took lessons for two years and in that time you could tell that Mr. Rosa was having more and more trouble playing the guitar. I have know idea what ever became of him.

Thanks for reminding me!
 
Top