Dezron Douglas

Douglas was raised in Hartford, Connecticut and studied tuba and bass at the Hartford Conservatory of Music. He attended The Hartt School at the University of Hartford majoring in African American Music and History under the tutelage of alto saxophonist Jackie McLean.[1].He is the nephew of drummer and composer Walter Bolden.[2]

Douglas has released six albums as a leader. His 2012 debut record, Live at Smalls, earned a positive review in the New York Times, which wrote: "Learned as it may be, this is living-language music — jazz as it’s practiced, more than as it’s studied."[3]

As a sideman, Douglas has recorded with Cyrus Chestnut, Michael Carvin, Louis Hayes, Steve Davis, George Cables, Papo Vasquez, Enrico Rava, Eric Reed, Abraham Burton, Eric McPherson, Tomasz Stanko, Makaya McCraven and Brandee Younger.[4] In April 2019, Douglas' playing was featured in the documentary Homecoming, by Beyoncé.[5] The recording used was from an NPR Music field recording released in 2013.[6]

He is longstanding member of the Ravi Coltrane Quartet and the Louis Hayes Jazz Communicators.

In 2019, Douglas was the winner of the Downbeat critics poll in the category of "Rising Star bassist".[7] Douglas was featured on DownBeat magazine's July 2020 cover along with Brandee Younger and six other artists.[8]

• Official website