Dean “Pop Pop” Hulett comes from a family of musicians ranging from voice to percussion.  At the age of eight he started playing the double bass after being inspired by his sister who played violin.

 

Orchestral music was his musical upbringing but by the time he reached his teenage years he began to explore other genres and began playing the electric bass in high school due to his interest in popular music.  Not wanting to abandon his love for the double bass, he was drawn towards jazz.  

 

In 2001 he met and had the pleasure of playing with such musicians as Mark Lomax, James Gaiters, Bobby Floyd, Edwin Bayard, Hamilton Hardin, Jerome Jennings, and many others at a time where the live music scene in Columbus was at a high.

 

This sort of mini renaissance spawned a great number of encounters and opportunities for Dean to share the stage with well-known musicians such as members of the Marsalis family, touring with Delfeayo Marsalis, Derek Gardner, Wycliffe Gordon, and recordings with Azar Lawrence and others.  His bass has taken him around the world and back again, and he hopes it will take him even farther with each pass.