Millenium jazz Orchestra

The Millennium Jazz Orchestra is a pure jazz orchestra with professional Dutch musicians. Since 1990 the band plays every first Wednesday of the month in theatre De Bouwkunde in Deventer, Holland, and every month with a nationally or internationally famous guest soloist like Toots Thielemans, Dick Oatts, Kenny Wheeler, Ronnie Cuber, Claudio Roditi, Lew Tabackin, Jiggs Whigham, Frank Marocco, Bobby Shew, New York Voices, Jasper van ’t Hof, Herb Geller, Lee Konitz, Ernie Watts, Charlie Mariano, Harold Land, The Four Freshmen, Bob Malach, Bud Shank, Pete Christlieb, Philip Catherine....

In 1992 the band presented its first CD, ‘Some Frames of Mind’, which was declared the best CD of the month in December 1992 by ‘Jazz Nu’, a Dutch jazz magazine. In the same year the band won a first prize in the National Big Band Contest of TROS Radio, and in 1993 the band had a very successful tour in Rumania. Since then the band has improved its level and now it is one of the best big bands around.

The release ‘Magnifying-Glass’ contains compositions and arrangements of bandleader Joan Reinders. Guest soloist is the famous German soprano- and tenor saxophonist Peter Weniger. Probably this CD is the big band surprise of 1998.

Guest soloist on the CD ‘Triangular’ is the famous Belgian guitar player Philip Catherine. Especially for this CD Joan Reinders composed a suite for Philip. And of course some compositions of Philip are played by the band. All pieces are arranged by Joan.

The CD 'Specially Arranged For Fay' is released in the autumn of 2002. This CD contains 9 pieces arranged by bandleader Joan Reinders for the fantastic Dutch singer Fay Claassen.

As a result of this CD the orchestra has performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival on Saturday July 12 in 2003: a smashing concert with standing ovations. The orchestra had to play two encores.

In 2004 and 2006 the orchestra featured Toots Thielemans at the International Jazz Festival Enschede.

In the season 2004-2005, the Millennium Jazz Orchestra has made a theatre tour through the Netherlands. The orchestra played 19 concerts in theatres and music halls as a part of the Jazz Impuls series. The MJO started on July 31 in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.

On August 6, 2005, the Millennium Jazz Orchestra accompanied the world famous American vocal group The Four Freshmen in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. The fourth album, with the famous American alto saxophonist Dick Oatts, was released in the autumn of 2005. The CD 'Oattsnotes' contains compositions of both Dick and Joan. All arrangements, however, are written by Joan Reinders.

In January 2006 the Millennium Jazz Orchestra and singer Fay Claassen were invited to perform on the International Association for Jazz Education, which took place in New York. This invitation was based on the CD 'Specially Arranged for Fay'.

In November 2008 the legendary American tenorist Benny Golson was featured by the band in the Muziekcentrum Enschede. They played classics as Killer Joe, Along came Betty en The Blues March.

The New York Voices were the guest soloist of the Millennium Jazz Orchestra in the Muziekcentrum Enschede in November 2009. It was an enormous succes!

The latest album 'Pretty Pumps' is released in May 2010. All compositions by Joan Reinders, with features and solos of members of the Millennium Jazz Orchestra.

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