Hayden Prosser (L)

Profile

Born in 1990 in the scenic county of Somerset, England, Hayden Prosser developed a passion for experimental music in his younger years which continued during his time at Middlesex University in London, where he studied jazz. He developed his style of double bass playing under the guidance of, amongst others, musicians Stuart Hall, Chris Batchelor and Michael Janisch.

After a brief time performing in bands of other musical styles, including music of the Balkans and Moroccan music, Hayden returned to performing and composing in jazz and improvised settings, usually in small band arrangements.

With an avid interest in many acoustic and electronic musics, Hayden often hears music without the more rigid confines that style names would suggest, citing musicians Craig Taborn, Drew Gress, Tim Berne, Ralph Alessi, Arnold Schoenberg, Morton Feldman, Boards of Canda, Autechre, and Plaid amongst others as inspiration.

Due to the universities openness to experimentation and lack of a ‘house style’, Hayden was given freedom to explore his own creative processes and the relationships between improvisation and composition. Later, as part of his continuation of exploring the double bass and writing, Hayden took up studying over duration with two esteemed New York musicians, Drew Gress and Chris Lightcap. During studies with renown US bassist Michael Janisch who heard Hayden’s compositions, Hayden was offered the opportunity to record for Michael’s London based label Whirlwind Recordings. After a move to Berlin in 2015, Hayden formed a quartet and recorded his pieces with Elias Stemeseder (Jim Black Trio), Philipp Gropper (Hyperactive Kid) and Max Santner (Philipp Harnisch Quartet) and recorded his debut solo album Tether.

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