Known for his musical versatility, bassist Dezron Douglas is one of the most in demand young bassists in jazz today. As a composer, educator, and bandleader, Dezron has established himself as a musician’s musician, respected not only for his talent but also for his dedication to the authenticity of the music.
Born and raised in Hartford, Douglas studied at the Jackie McLean Institute of African American Music at the Hartt School of Music (University of Hartford). While in college, he co-founded The New Jazz Workshop of Hartford. In the following years, he has performed and recorded with Michael Carvin, Pharoah Sanders, Cyrus Chestnut, Abraham Burton/Eric McPherson, Louis Hayes, Rene McLean, Al Foster, Ravi Coltrane, Billy Drummond, Steve Davis, Winard Harper, Lewis Nash, Kevin Mahogany, Carla Cook, Kenny Garrett, Willie Jones III, Jeremy Pelt, Eric Reed, Papo Vazquez, and The Marsalis Brothers. Douglas is a long-standing member of the Cyrus Chestnut Trio and Papo Vazquez and the Mighty Pirates.
He has recorded four albums as a leader: Walkin’ My Baby Back Home and Ganbare Nippon on Venus Records (Japan); “Underground” by the New Jazz Workshop; and Dezron Douglas, Live at Smalls on the Smalls Live label. His most recent EP, “Black Lion,” was released in 2018. In 2019, Douglas was the winner of the Downbeat critics poll in the category of “Rising Star bassist”. Douglas was featured on DownBeat magazine’s July 2020 cover along with Brandee Younger and six other artists.