Gabriel Mark Hasselbach - Count Your Lucky Stars (2024)

“Count Your Lucky Stars” is a 13-song aural exploration through contemporary jazz rhythms, grooves and melodies. Showcasing his lyrically expressive horn play, Hasselbach wields multiple horns on every track throughout the project, finding the variety empowers him to uniquely color, shade and texturize each song.

“I mix my flute and my muted trumpet and my flugelhorn in a lot of different combinations. And I really like the balance of those textures. It provides different sonic colors to me, so it’s something that I’ve gravitated to and just by nature have developed,” Hasselbach recently told the Jazziz podcast.


The album opener, “SunSeeker,” is the first single from the new album and the cut spotlighting saxophonist Marion Meadows began collecting radio and Spotify playlist adds last week, including SiriusXM’s Watercolors. Both artists lived in Hawaii for many years. Hasselbach paints the picture of the song’s inspiration.

“The song title explains our journey to the islands, a magical place full of hope and love. Tradewinds create breezes that keep you cool, allowing the sun to gently burnish you,” said Hasselbach who will make his Catalina JazzTrax Festival debut on October 17.

The uplifting title track is next and sprang from a daily affirmation that Hasselbach repeated.

“I spent the last twenty years or so doing the personal development work to reach my potential and higher self, and part of that exercise was a daily affirmation that started out as wishful thinking and became my reality along the way. A ‘thank you’ goes a long way in daily interactions, but even more so when you thank the Universe or Higher Power for the good things you have – mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually – rather than the things you don’t have.”

Hasselbach’s positive mindset permeates “Positive Space,” a chill tune about the need for quiet, safe spaces free from toxic people.

“We all need places that nourish us, happy places free from toxic relationships. That is the key to a balanced and happy life, so I thought a musical expression of that reality was worth exploring,” said Hasselbach.

Juno and American Music Award-winning singer-guitarist Alfie Zappacosta plies his distinctive voice to “We Are,” continuing Hasselbach’s careerlong tradition of including at least one vocal track on every album. Pianist Miles Black is featured on “Force of Habit,” a slick percussive groove constructed by Laing Jr. and bassist Glenn Riley. Laing Jr.’s deft beats anchor “Funky Lew,” one of two duo tracks on the album performed by Hasselbach and Laing Jr. Eddie Bullen guests on “Written in the Stars,” issuing a poetic piano solo.

The tempo rachets up to dance floor on “Show of Hands,” which Hasselbach said was written to pay homage to those who step up to serve society.

“This is an inspirational and aspirational track that is meant to promote community spirit and giving. The world needs more uplifting and civic minded people who don’t always put themselves first. In a way, this song is an anthem for the good guys!” enthused Hasselbach.

From club vibe to romance, Hasselbach serenades on “Paris Solstice,” recreating the ambiance from when he proposed to his wife atop the Eiffel Tower.

“After a couple of French 75s and some cheese nibbles, the fading light of the summer’s eve bathed us in a golden glow as we were basking in the joy following the ‘Yes!’” recalled Hasselbach.

“Just A Little Fling” is the only song on the set that is flute driven. Andrew Jacob Scott’s articulate electric jazz guitar features on “State of Play.” The atmospheric “That Being Said” ventures into exotic romance created by Andre Frappier’s rhythmic Latin guitar and Steve Alaniz’s sensual sax.

“Work the Magic” celebrates the magic of momentum, which began for Hasselbach last month when he released a retrospective collection of 18 vocal tracks taken from his 14 albums. “The Vocalists” features Michael Bublé, Dee Daniels and an accomplished assortment of popular Canadian vocalists as well as Hasselbach crooning himself. The vocal album is made up of straight-ahead jazz, R&B, blues and adult contemporary pop selections.

This summer isn’t the first time that the fruitful Hasselbach has dropped two albums around the same time. His previous two projects, the contemporary jazz “Tongue & Groove” and straight-ahead “MidCentury Modern Vol.3,” both streeted in 2022. “Tongue & Groove” scored a Contemporary Album of the Year nomination at the inaugural Jazz Music Awards while “MidCentury Modern Vol.3” enjoyed a 17-week run on the JazzWeek chart.

A Denver native who has made Vancouver his home, Hasselbach is the rare jazz musician who is equally at home in contemporary, straight-ahead and traditional New Orleans jazz settings. He’s amassed eleven Billboard top 30 singles, and his extensive collection of honors and awards includes several Junos (Canada’s Grammy equivalent). Reflecting his resume of projects in all hues of jazz, Hasselbach has recorded with a diverse array of Grammy winners and Billboard chart-toppers including Jeff Lorber, Paul Brown, Paul Hardcastle, Bob Baldwin, Marc Antoine, Greg Manning, Darren Rahn, Warren Hill, Rob Tardik, Bob James, Chuck Loeb, Larry Coryell, Ernie Watts and Bob Mintzer. He’s performed around the world at some of the most prestigious jazz festivals including Montreux, North Sea and JVC.