Millennium Jazz Orchestra

The Millennium Jazz Orchestra is a pure jazz orchestra with professional Dutch, German, English and Brazilian musicians. Since 1990 the orchestra, under Joan Reinders’ leadership, plays a regular monthly concert in Theater Bouwkunde in Deventer (NL), featuring a famous nationally or internationally soloist like Toots Thielemans, Dick Oatts, Kenny Wheeler, Benny Golson, New York Voices, Claudio Roditi, James Moody, Lew Tabackin, Jiggs Whigham, Bobby Shew, Herb Geller, Lee Konitz, Ernie Watts, Charlie Mariano, The Four Freshmen, Bud Shank, Pete Christlieb, Philip Catherine and many others.

The orchestra has played in many theatres and music halls in the Netherlands and Germany, such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and North Sea Jazz Festival.  In January 2006 the Millennium Jazz Orchestra and singer Fay Claassen were invited to perform at the International Association for Jazz Education, which took place in New York.

Special projects are part of the band’s interests, such as:

• Gershwin Celebration Tour (2019) With Matangi Quartet (strings) and jazz vocalist Fay Claassen.
• Bernstein Celebration Tour (2018-2019) With sopranos Claron McFadden and Laura Bohn.
• Jazz meets Classic meets World Music (2010) The Millennium Jazz Orchestra with string orchestra Sinfonietta Aurora and singer Esra Dalfidan.
• ArtEZ Composition Contest (2007-2013) This contest was open for composers of all nationalities (no age limit). Participants came from all over the world. Each year the Millennium Jazz Orchestra, under Joan Reinders’ leadership, performed five selected compositions for the final round.   

The Millennium Jazz Orchestra recorded several CDs:

• Octopus (2018), compositions by Joan Reinders.
• In March 2017 the album ‘Lookin’ East’ is released, with compositions and arrangements by Joan Reinders. This CD features the whole orchestra.
• In 2014 the album ‘Safety Zone’ was released, with compositions and arrangements by Joan Reinders. This CD features the whole orchestra.
• On the CD ‘Distrust All Rules’ (2011) the Millennium Jazz Orchestra plays the music of Henri Gerrits, composer/arranger/trombonist of the orchestra.
• The CD 'Pretty Pumps' (2010) contains only compositions of Joan Reinders.
• The CD 'Oattsnotes' (2005) features the famous American alto saxophonist Dick Oatts. It contains compositions of both Dick Oatts and Joan Reinders. All arrangements, however, are written by Joan Reinders.
• The CD ‘Specially Arranged For Fay’ (2002), played by the Millennium Jazz Orchestra, is arranged and conducted by Joan Reinders. Special guest is the fantastic Dutch singer Fay Claassen.
• On the CD ‘Triangular’ (2000) of The Millennium Jazz Orchestra, with the famous Belgian guitar player Philip Catherine as a guest artist, all tracks have been composed and/or arranged by Joan Reinders.
• The CD ‘Magnifying-glass’ (1998), played by the Big Barchem Band, contains compositions and arrangements of Joan Reinders. Guest soloist is the German soprano-and tenor saxophonist Peter Weniger.
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Awards

On November 7th 2003 Reinders was awarded the Peter Schilperoort Award for his special contributions to Dutch jazz music. According to the jury “Joan turned a stereotype regional big band into a nationally appreciated jazz orchestra. The “Big Barchem Band” became the Millennium Jazz Orchestra, that made its name by working with many top soloists”.