Sunday, April 8, 2012

Paul van Kemenade and The Metropole Orchestra - FREEZE!

© -  Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.


For more than 30 years Paul van Kemenade has been one of the very active figures in the Dutch world of Jazz and improvised music; first and foremost as alto saxophonist but also as a band leader, workshop leader, composer and organizer.

Since 1979 he has been leading his own formations and has written his own music. He has played in different existing ensembles and has performed in various ad hoc forma­tions. In 1982 he founded his own quintet with which he is still performing both in the Netherlands and abroad. He has not shied away from playing in various musical disci­plines and has organised the, by now, famous festival "Stranger than Para..noia".

Paul van Kemenade can be heard on many records and CD's of which several have been produced under his own name. He has won many prizes and in 2000 he was awarded the prestigious Boy Edgar Prize for his contribution to Jazz in the Netherlands.


"I was very honored to be invited by the Metropole Orchestra to realize a project with my own compositions, which were orchestrated by two arrangers of my own choice and performed by a symphonic orchestra and big band with 53 musicians.

This offered an excellent opportunity for me to make my music symphonic. It has been a very special and instructive experience and I would especially like to thank Jim McNeely and Niko Langenhuijsen for their beautiful arrangements and the Metropole Orchestra conducted by Vince Mendoza for its wonderful performance."

The following video features Paul’s composition “Freeze” as performed by Paul on alto saxophone with The Metropole Orchestra conducted by Vince Mendoza. The arrangement is by Jim McNeely with additional solos by the orchestra’s resident guitarist, Peter Tiehuis and tenor saxophonist Leo Janssen.