John Hazel, was a famed cornetist, who was billed as the Wizard Cornetist, was from Williamsport and after he retired from performing professionally, he maintained an association with the Keefer Instrument Company. During Hazel’s active professional playing career, it was the custom for manufacturers to provide instruments for well-known players in return for publicity. In the 1880s he used a J. W. Pepper Specialty cornet. In 1889 Henry Distin presented him with a cornet; in 1891, the Conn Company presented him a "handsome gold cornet." At some point in his career, Hazel switched back to cornets made by the Henry Distin Company, which had relocated in Williamsport in 1889.
The Distin Company, known for its fine brass instruments, was the largest producer of brass instruments in the United States in the early part of this century (Metronome, June 1908). Brua C. Keefer had managed the Distin Company when it moved to Williamsport from Philadelphia and acquired financial control of the company in 1909. The company name was changed to the Brua C. Keefer Company. Hazel remained associated with the Keefer Company, and on his return to Williamsport, was employed to help design and test instruments. Keefer also issued "Hazel certificates," which were described in the following advertisement:
After passing the acute tests of our regular test men, every Keefer cornet and trumpet is again tested by John Hazel. He tests for many things besides accuracy, intonation, responsiveness, evenness, cross finger tone comparisons, power, power in tones played softly, action of the slides; in fact, everything a good professional would think of and many things a virtuoso would think of. The simple fact is, every Keefer cornet and trumpet is "certified" by John Hazel before it can go out. (April 1913)
Every prospective buyer was urged to ask for these fancy certificates or to "ask for when ordering." Hazel would continue to test instruments until the company ceased manufacturing them in 1941.
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