Wiro Mahieu ( bass & e.bass) – Louk Boudesteijn (trb) – Pieter Bast (drs) – Rein Godefroy (fender rhodes & piano) – Paul van Kemenade (as)
Founded in 1982 ! the music of the Paul van Kemenade Quintet is highly original and has a strong lust for life. They mostly play their own compositions and try to blend European improvised music with American jazz, African- and Spanish music, classical music as well as with popmusic. Furthermore they try to serve this musical cocktail in their own right. They are constantly looking for opportunities to mix with other musical disciplines and are therefore evolving and aiming to lift their music to a higher level.
Tours
They have toured succesfully in all around Europe, South-Africa, West-Africa and Indonesia, – have played concerts with popbands, windbands and brassbands, symphony-orchestras and youth orchestras.
Guestmusicians
They did perform with various national and international guestmusicians such as Zim Ngqwana, Philip Catherine, David Murray, Kenny Wheeler, Gerd Dudek and since 1994 the quintet played frequently with the South African musicians Feya Faku and, Louis Mhlanga and since 1998 with tenorplayer Sydney Mnisi, later on joined by Sonti Mndebele and Bheki Khoza. The quintet performed since 2002 reguarly with the West African trio ‘Les Frères Guissé’ from Senegal and played with Belgian topsinger David Linx, Rik Mol and stringquartet ‘Strings get Wings’ with a.o. French violinplayer Pierre Blanchard. New tours and projects are constantly in movement and to date the Dutch Van Kemenade Quintet have recorded over 10 albums. In 2007 the quintet celebrated their 25-year anniversary.
Reviews
Draaiomjeoren.nl, september 2012.
His successful band put down a smashing performance. The seemingly inexhaustible saxophonist introduced short but powerful his cautious paces on the electronic path and played beautiful duets with trombonist Louk Boudesteijn. It is clear: the unadulterated Van Kemenade-sound still turns the hearts of his fans on fire.
Jazzenzo.nl, september 2012.
The for thirty years existing Paul van Kemenade Quintet played a scintillating performance with new and old work. Leader Van Kemenade recently adopted electronics to be his new toy, which he briefly demonstrated in one piece. The Quintet didn’t continue to wallow in nostalgia, but is still looking for new expressive possibilities. Because the Quintet can be everything, whose piece ‘ Close Enough ‘ testified. Started with a duet, after which the trombone of Louk Boudesteijn embraced the music, later joined by the others. It was thus an exposé of individual qualities and collective craftsmanship.