Dezron Douglas

Dezron Lamont Douglas is an American jazz double bassist, composer and producer.

Dezron Douglas
Douglas at the Moers Festival, Germany, 2015
Background information
Birth name	Dezron Lamont Douglas
Born	Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Genres	Jazz
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	Double bass
Years active	2004–present

Biography

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 Stańko, 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^[7][8] and has performed with the Louis Hayes Jazz Communicators.^[9]

In 2019, Douglas was the winner of the Downbeat critics poll in the category of "Rising Star bassist".^[10] Douglas was featured on DownBeat magazine's July 2020 cover along with Brandee Younger and six other artists.^[11]

In 2021, Dezron joined the Trey Anastasio Band, replacing the late Tony Markellis.

Discography

As leader

• 2012: Underground, Independent
• 2012: Walkin' My Baby Back Home, Venus Records
• 2012: Ganbare Nippon, Venus Records
• 2013: Dezron Douglas Live at Smalls, Smalls Live
• 2016: DE3: Live at Maxwells, Sunnyside Records
• 2017: Soul Jazz, Venus Records
• 2018: Black Lion, Independent
• 2019: Solomon Grundy, Independent (single)
• 2020: Cobra, Independent (single)
• 2020: Force Majeure (with Brandee Younger), International Anthem
• 2021: Meditations on Faith, Independent (single)
• 2022: Freeway, Independent (single)
• 2022: Atalaya, International Anthem

As sideman

With Cyrus Chestnut

• 2007: Cyrus Plays Elvis
• 2010: Journeys
• 2010: The Cyrus Chestnut Quartet
• 2010: Plenty Swing, Plenty Soul: Live at Dizzy's with Eric Reed
• 2011: Moonlight Sonata
• 2013: Soul Brother Cool

With Steve Davis

• 2008: Outlook
• 2011: Images: The Hartford Suite
• 2019: Correlations

With Louis Hayes

• 2014: Return of the Jazz Communicators
• 2014: Live at Cory Weeds Cellar Jazz Club
• 2017: Serenade for Horace

With Makaya McCraven

• 2018: Universal Beings
• 2020: Universal Beings E&F sides

With Leslie Odom, Jr.

• 2016: Simply Christmas

With Brandee Younger

• 2011: Prelude, Independent
• 2014: The Brandee Younger 4tet, Live at the Breeding Ground, Independent
• 2015: Supreme Sonacy, Blue Note Records / Revive Music
• 2016: Wax & Wane, Independent/ Revive Music
• 2018: A Day In The Life: Impressions of Pepper, Impulse!
• 2019: Soul Awakening Independent
• 2021: Somewhere Different, Impulse!