Born 1957 in Rotterdam and raised there Paul van Kemenade plays since his childhood the alto saxophone. Since 1976 he is active as a professional musician. He leads diverse well-known European jazz bands, in which mostly own compositions are played. Educated at the "Brabants Music Conservatory" in Tilburg, Netherlands he plays also as a Sideman in countless groups, duo formations and big bands. In Alexander von Schlippenbach's "Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra" he was performing at a side with jazz legends like Kenny Wheeler, Ed Thigpen and Benny Bailey. He worked also with the "Surinam Music Ensemble" and in multimedia projects together with book authors, painters and dancers.
For several years he teaches intensively in his home country. His own quintet was founded already in 1983 and he won diverse high-carat awards and prizes. Paul van Kemenade is today one of the leading alto saxophonists in Europe and he is a role model for the young generation of upcoming saxophonists. In a duo with the Dutch pianist Stevko Busch his specific art of saxophone playing is mostly clarified. In this musical project a stone is rolling endlessly and in a unique artistic manner. After a tour through Russia Paul van Kemenade proceeded Russian-orthodox choir singing and compositions of the Russian artist Alexander Glusonow into jazz improvisations. The results you can hear in the album "Comtemplations". The specialty of Paul van Kemenade's art is, that his music sounds like absolute reflexion and all is played with total inner silence.
