Don't miss the April WPB DFJ meeting. We will be having Scott Hazen as our featured drummer.
Scott was born and raised in Yonkers, NY, he began learning the drums at the age of nine and by his twelfth birthday had a quartet and was playing for the 6th grade dances. During his formative years Scott studied with Bob White who had served with the USAF Band and played and recorded with Chet Baker. Scott would also study with Kenny Malone (who is a top Nashville session musician) during his service in the US Navy.
Scott traveled the globe playing with the US Navy Show Band before returning to private life in the 1970's. Scott Hazen then began his career playing with many different types of acts in his 40+ year career doing big band and show drumming playing with various "Big" hotel acts in the Catskills during the 1970's to working with Silk & Steel a Country Fusion Band at Six Flags Great Adventure theme park in 1980's. Scott also worked for many years with the Stan Allen Orchestras playing for corporate affairs, weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs and other affairs.
Scott, while doing many commercial gigs during his career, always found time to play his music of choice – Jazz. During the late 1990's he joined up with two local NJ jazz groups, Tom Gavornik and the Hinds Feet Players and Vince DiMura & The George St. Project. Scott recorded and produced three CDs with Tom and recorded two CDs with Vince DiMura. All of these projects received national and international reviews. Scott has also been called upon to be a "hired gun" for other local talent for many other CD project sessions.
In 2002, Scott moved to Orlando FL and began performing with many different groups among them JJ and the Classics, Anita Drink featuring Jill Towers, and The Caribbean Chillers a 12-piece Jimmy Buffet tribute band. Scott's motto from the bible is to "study to show thyself approved." Scott continues to study drums with a local Orlando professional drummer named Roy Cameron who is from Scotland and has studied and taught in London, UK. Scott says, "This is more for my head, but it's turned out to be beneficial for both of us. We challenge each other and encourage one another." Learning, growing, and drumming are still Scott's passion. Scott says of his drumming today, "my objective is to have fun whenever I play music; this keeps me young in body, mind and spirit."