Paul van Kemenade
Altosaxophonist, festival organizer
He is one of the grand seigneurs of Dutch and European jazz. As a musician internationally known for his unparalleled sound, as a festival organizer innovative and open-minded.
The fame of the winner of the ‘Boy Edgar Prize’ gained momentum after the American magazine ‘Downbeat’ awarded his CD ‘CLOSE ENOUGH’ with 5 stars. After an illness in 2010 – from which he has fortunately recovered – Van Kemenade seems to highlight a new aspect in his playing. He no longer needs to showcase the high level of his ability, and there is more room in his music for stillness and deep soul.
Paul has toured throughout Europe, Canada, South Africa, West Africa, and Indonesia and played on nearly 50 LPs and CDs. He still gives guest-workshops and has lived in Tilburg since 1974. He was programmer of the jazz series at the ‘Theaterfestival Boulevard’ in Den Bosch for seven years and has been programmer and artistic director of the ‘Stranger than Paranoia’ festival in ‘Paradox’ in Tilburg since 1993.
He has worked with a.o. Alexander von Schlippenbach, Aki Takase, Ed Thigpen, Cecil Mcbee, Benny Bailey, Gerd Dudek, Rob van den Broeck, Heinz Becker, Kenny Wheeler, Manfred Zepf, Thomas Heberer, Christoph Haberer, Conny and Johannes Bauer, Joe Sachse, Han Bennink, Willem Breuker, Misha Mengelberg, Niko Langenhuijsen, Sean Bergin, Louis Moholo, Zim Ngqawana, Feya Faku, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Cornell Rochester, Theo Jörgensmann, Eckard Koltermann, Piet Noordijk, Hans Dulfer, Ernst Ludwig Petrovski, Kelvyn Bell, Rainer Winterschladen, Stefan Bauer, Michael Heupel, David Murray, George Lewis, Jasper van’t Hof, John Engels, Pierre Courbois, Willem Kühne, Dré Pallemaerts, Erwin Vann, Philip Catherine, Pablo Nahar, Franky Douglas, Eddy Veldman, George Lewis, Louis Mhlanga, Toon de Gouw, Leo Cuijpers, Sydney Mnisi, the Metropole Orchestra, Brabants Orkest, Les Frères Guissé, David Linx, Ba Cissoko, Robin Eubanks and many others.
