Paradox Jazz Orchestra & Jasper Staps
Biography Paradox Jazz Orchestra & Jasper Staps
Paradox Jazz Orchestra
Renowned saxophonist/arranger JASPER STAPS and trumpeter TEUS NOBEL founded a new jazz orchestra in 2019. In early 2020, the Tilburg jazz club Paradox gave them all the freedom they needed to try out their concept live. This led to several successful try-out concerts. This new big band therefore owes its name to its creative home base. The Paradox Jazz Orchestra (PJO) was born.
Press and audiences alike wax lyrical about Paradox Jazz Orchestra's unique concept. Audiences witness the process live, feel the tension of the short preparation time and its release during the concerts. The basis of the orchestra is the session nights at Tilburg's jazz club Paradox. The creative home base, where the orchestra experiments and tries things out. During these evenings, the audience is welcome early on: from rehearsal to concert.
Each session night has its own theme. Such as the repertoire of a well-known big band or of a particular composer or arranger. For example, Buddy Rich, Duke Ellington (with his "Far East Suite"), Jerry van Rooyen and Stan Kenton. An important theme is the tribute to THE SKYMASTERS, the illustrious homegrown big band that gained world fame in the 80s and 90s.
Jasper Staps: 'On the one hand, we see many talented and well-trained musicians who are technically and artistically hardly challenged in their bands and orchestras. On the other hand, we see amateur big bands playing repertoire that is a little too far above their level. We find that an unsatisfactory result. With the Paradox Jazz Orchestra, we are trying to break that." Teus Nobel: "Together with Staps, I approached young talents like Koen Smits, Niek de Bruin and Jesse Schilderink. We put these alongside more established names like Rembrandt Frerichs, Jan Menu and Jos Machtel. When the other musicians on our wish list all enthusiastically said 'yes', the orchestra was complete. The musicians come from all parts of the Netherlands and Flanders."