OPEN INVITATION
From the USA:
Gabriel Mark Hasselbach's new CD "Open Invitation" on
which he wrote all the tunes and plays trumpet,
flugel,alto and C flutes, ‘valve bone, and EVI, is a tour
de force of arranging and production. Each tune also
features a famous guest artist all of whom fit perfectly
into the picture. Gabriel sounds great on everything..no
easy task, and should be really proud of this one! You'll
find yourself humming these tunes when you least expect
it! ....... Randy Brecker
"You might expect a cat with the name Gabriel to blow
trumpet. But Gabriel Mark Hasselbach also displays his
mastery on flugelhorn, alto and c melody flutes, valve
trombone, and electronic valve instrument.Having
sharpened his skills on stages alongside everyone from
Michael Bublé, Jeff Lorber and Chuck Loeb to Little
Richard, George Benson and John Lee Hooker, Hasselbach
has a vast tonal palette from which to draw. He's also
won acclaim for his own smooth jazz discography, which
spans more than 30 years. On his latest, the aptly titled
Open Invitation (Windtunnel), Hasselbach recruited
friends and associates who just happen to rank among some
of the top names in the contemporary jazz world. Pianist
Bob Baldwin, and saxophonists Bob Mintzer, Rock Hendricks
and Cory Weeds all lend their talents to this set of
Hasselbach originals. 'Count Me In', [on the enclosed
disc], kicks off the recording with some bluesy textures,
thanks to guitarist Adam Rohrlick, who can effortlessly
conjure B.B. King or Wes Montgomery. Hasselbach's
trumpet, flugelhorn, and flute lines drift enticingly
over and around the laid-back groove." .... JAZZIZ
Magazine"
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OPEN INVITATION
From the USA:
Gabriel Mark Hasselbach's new CD "Open Invitation" on
which he wrote all the tunes and plays trumpet,
flugel,alto and C flutes, ‘valve bone, and EVI, is a tour
de force of arranging and production. Each tune also
features a famous guest artist all of whom fit perfectly
into the picture. Gabriel sounds great on everything..no
easy task, and should be really proud of this one! You'll
find yourself humming these tunes when you least expect
it! ....... Randy Brecker
"You might expect a cat with the name Gabriel to blow
trumpet. But Gabriel Mark Hasselbach also displays his
mastery on flugelhorn, alto and c melody flutes, valve
trombone, and electronic valve instrument.Having
sharpened his skills on stages alongside everyone from
Michael Bublé, Jeff Lorber and Chuck Loeb to Little
Richard, George Benson and John Lee Hooker, Hasselbach
has a vast tonal palette from which to draw. He's also
won acclaim for his own smooth jazz discography, which
spans more than 30 years. On his latest, the aptly titled
Open Invitation (Windtunnel), Hasselbach recruited
friends and associates who just happen to rank among some
of the top names in the contemporary jazz world. Pianist
Bob Baldwin, and saxophonists Bob Mintzer, Rock Hendricks
and Cory Weeds all lend their talents to this set of
Hasselbach originals. 'Count Me In', [on the enclosed
disc], kicks off the recording with some bluesy textures,
thanks to guitarist Adam Rohrlick, who can effortlessly
conjure B.B. King or Wes Montgomery. Hasselbach's
trumpet, flugelhorn, and flute lines drift enticingly
over and around the laid-back groove." .... JAZZIZ
Magazine"
.....Riveting sound ......solid groove-packed .....
loaded with both soothing and searingly funky jazz just
like we C-jazzers like it. After his scorching 2012
Kissed By the Sun release, who could expect anything less
from this prolific trumpeter who not only cranks out his
own quality albums but is featured on albums by other
top-notch artists, as well. ....Hasselbach also has some
straight-ahead work under his belt – and you may be able
to detect some of that influence ....much to the delight
of the C-jazzers of the world.This album, which also
features him on flugelhorn and flutes, has some cool
contributors like keyboardists Greg Manning, Cal Harris
Jr., and Bob Baldwin, and saxman Bob Mintzer of
Yellowjackets fame. They all make this one cool, flowing
party. Suffice it to say that Hasselbach not only
consistently has a handle on the C-jazz groove but again
works it to perfection here on Open Invitation. ~ Ronald
Jackson- TheSmoothJazzRide.com
“Good job!” [Jeff Lorber, Grammy winning fusion artist]
Gabriel Mark Hasselbach-Open Invitation 4/4“Canadian
trumpeter Gabriel Mark Hasselbach returns on Open
Invitation with his proven formula for success: a cadre
of talented guest artists, fresh, funky rhythms ....
these are a few of the highlights in yet another winning
set from GMH.” [O's Place Jazz Notes]
From Canada:
WAVE FM - PD and Morning Host double reviewGabriel Mark
Hasselbach's sheer talent alone has long made him worthy
of having his name mentioned in the same sentence with
many, if not all, of his contemporaries on the jazz music
scene. For anyone to argue the point, I would openly
invite them to get a fix of Gabe's new energy charged
release Open Invitation and learn the truth. Because the
truth of the matter is that the west coast based
trumpeter has rifled off an astounding collection of
freshly written tunes which explain why music critics and
smooth jazz media are all over this one with ramped-up
enthusiasm, and open arms and ears.Open Invitation is a
collective effort with some of Gabe's A-list friends
dropping into the sessions to complement this 10-track
labour of love, following up his 2012 sensation Kissed By
The Sun. Among the smooth elites are keyboardists Greg
Manning, Cal Harris Jr., Bob Baldwin, saxophonist Bob
Mintzer of the Yellowjackets, the multi-faceted Lew
Laing Jr. (co-writer and co-producer), just to offer
quick list of the notable talent infused throughout the
project. The lift-off for Open Invitation was the
skyrocket single Propulsion which with a funky energetic
rhythm and the painfully tight trumpet jabs alongside
Manning's electrifying melodic piano brilliance, easily
had the first release soaring skywards on numerous smooth
jazz charts and playlists. And while the album inspires
several moods and styles, it's the lead off track in
particular that I find sets the precedent for the overall
representative sound on Open Invitation.Charmed Life is
undeniably stylish and charming, working with keyboardist
Baldwin to meld their talents into a nearly endless mid
tempo melodic explosion. Gabe does it up spectacularly on
Let's Do This Thang, as he and guitarist Olaf deShield
offer up a richly flowing and bouncy groove, complete
with lush trumpet, guitar, and synthesized melodies to
make this track another instant pick hit. Enlist a legend
like The Yellowjackets' Mintzer and you instantly set
yourself up for another winning track such as Let It
Ride, another solid of example of funk infused groove
with attitude that is as playful as it is serious.
Showcasing Gabe's multi-dimensional talents as a
performer, composer, and producer is the soulfully
romantic track Lovelight with the sensuous vocals of Dee
and Brittani Cole. It's a simmering slow burn and
perfect mood setter to signal the start of potential
'night games' once the sun fades. If there's one thing
that is consistent about Open Invitation, it's that the
encompassing sound brings together all of the elements of
an album that raises the bar for coolness, style,
chicness, and a compelling elegant vibe. Yet it's only
accomplished by the enormous talent that exists on the
recordings, and backed up by brilliant instrumentation
and some of the finest production techniques, which only
enhance the razor sharp trumpet work, airy and melodic
flute work, edgy flugel horns, in addition to the perfect
rhythmic and synthesized arrangements. But if there is
one winning ingredient that makes this a top priority for
smooth music lovers, it's the heavy dose of passion that
takes every aspect and effort of Open Invitation to
whole new level. ~ Reviewed by Stu Berketo
Vickie van Dyke Morning Host from WAVE FM also reviewed
this album:
He is back ... and he is back with more horsepower than a
flaming Ferrari! The big winner at the 2012 Smooth Jazz
Awards, Gabriel Mark Hasselbach is full steam ahead with
his new CD "Open Invitation", rocketing out of the gate
with an open-throttle collection jam-packed with energy,
verve, sass, bite and a whole lot of groove. From the
passionate power of the lead-off single "Propulsion"
(featuring the blazing chops of Greg Manning on piano) to
the funky-fine finesse of "Charmed Life" (with Bob
Baldwin) to the silky smooth sensuality of "Lovelight"
(with Dee and Brittani Cole adding velvety vocals), Gabe
is a man-on-fire on every track. No stranger to star-
power, he has worked with Michael Buble, Steve Oliver,
Jeff Lorber, Paul Brown, Bob James, Gino Vanelli, Rob
Tardik ... well, you get the picture. This Vancouver-
based musical master plays with the big boys because he
can. Whether trumpet, flute or fluglehorn (oh how I love
that word!) GMH proves time and time again that he is
worthy of every accolade. Top twenty Billboard hits, a
Juno, several smoothies and a west coast music award, he
is only just getting started. Open Invitation invites all
music lovers to a first-class party of performers. Cal
Harris Jr., Bob Mintzer (Yellowjackets) and Rock
Hendricks (Paul Hardcastle) also show up and it's like
musical champagne a-flowing. Every track is original
(both literally and figuratively) and sumptuous. My
only complaint - when Gabe sent me the CD he signed the
cellophane cover. Oops. No matter, honey. I don't need
your autograph. I will accept your Open Invitation and
anxiously await the next one from a true trumpeting
treasure.
~ Vickie van Dyke, Morning Host
"I recently received trumpeter Gabriel Hasselbach's new
cd Open Invitation and I highly recommend it! It's fast,
classy and progressive and full of great all-star guest
performers. I can see why the first single release,
Propulsion, with special guest Greg Manning is sweeping
the jazz world - it's just great music! I guarantee
months of repeat playing of Gabriel's new music on my
jazz program! Keep up the good work and great music
Gabriel!"
~ Bill Sharpe, host of Newfoundland's only jazz program
Cool Jazz On The Coast
"Just wanted to say hi and tell you that I’ve been
listening to your “Open Invitation” CD, and I’m really
enjoying it! It’s great to hear you expressing yourself
using ALL of the colours in your palette, and to hear the
way you use them to add spice and variety to different
sections in your tunes. Great guests too - and top notch
compositions and production. Well done, my friend!" ~
Nathen Aswell, Keynote Speaker / Recording Artist,
www.NathenAswell.com
From Switzerland:
Gabriel - Open Invitation (2014) “Trumpet player Gabriel
Mark Hasselbach - or just ‘Gabriel’ - comes up with an
awesome album full of memorable tracks and tons of
first-rate guest players, like Bob Mintzer, Bob Baldwin,
Greg Manning and many others. The music is groovy and
offers a lot of variety, the musicianship is on a high
level, and the smooth trumpet and flugelhorn playing of
the leader holds it all together. Great stuff!” ~
Peter Boehi Smoothvibes.com Switzerland
From Germany: “With Open Invitation it becomes apparent
that Gabriel needn't shy away from comparison with any
other trumpeter in the world.” [Hans-Bernd Hülsmann,
Smooth-Jazz.de
From Belgium:
"An open invitation to get acquainted with Gabriel’s
music.... It’s been 3 years since I reviewed Gabriel’s
latest album ‘Kissed by the Sun’ here, and for this new
one he set to top that. Next to his fiery trumpet and
spacious flute, he gave other musicians the opportunity
to help him, and those are keyboardists Greg Manning, Bob
Baldwin and Cal Harris Jr., Bob Mintzer (Yellowjackets
sax), Rock Hendricks (Paul Hardcastle sax), as well as
breakout stars such as guitarists Adam Rohrlick and Olaf
deShield. Opener and second single ‘Count Me In’
features guitarist Adam Rohrlick and Gabriel blows a
laidback groove. The first single ‘Propulsion’ features
Greg Manning on piano and landed in the top 15. The title
track is a really smooth tune with Cal Harris Jr. on
keyboards, while ‘Init2Winit’ is a happy song. On
‘Charmed Life’ you can hear the piano of Bob Baldwin,
while romance is in the air on the ballad ‘Lovelight’
with vocalists Dee & Brittani Cole. After that comes
‘Let’s Do This Tang’ with Olaf deShield on guitar, but
it’s the latinesque ‘Let It Slide’ with sax man Bob
Mintzer that turns it funky. ‘Aurora Borealis’ is more
relaxed, and Gabriel takes us to the islands with ‘Carte
Blanche’. Indeed, a nice melodic album, that shows
Gabriel’s versatility. There’s not a bad track here!"
Patrick Van de Wiele http://www.smoothjazz.eu/
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