Joan Reinders

Joan was born in 1959 in Gramsbergen, the Netherlands.
He studied trombone and arranging at the conservatories of Zwolle and Hilversum (1977-1983) and Enschede (1985-1986). His principal teachers were Bart van Lier, Jerry van Rooyen, Frans Elsen, Cees Smal en Gerrit Boomsma. In 1991 he attended a five-day clinic by Bob Brookmeyer at the Amsterdam Summer University.

photo Hardy Klink

As a free-lance musician Joan played in radio and television orchestras like The Skymasters and the Metropole Orchestra. He also played in the John Clayton Big Band. With the latter he accompanied many famous artists like Sarah Vaughan, Al Grey, Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison, Frank Foster, Milt Jackson, Jeff Hamilton and many others.

Joan has worked as a guest conductor with the Orchestra of the Royal Dutch Air Force and at the conservatories of Weimar-Germany, Götheborg-Sweden, Ghent-Belgium and Barcelona-Spain.
At present Joan is a teacher (jazz) at the ArtEZ Conservatory Enschede. He also teaches composing and arranging and musical theory and is the musical director of the big band. 

As a composer and arranger Joan works with The Millennium Jazz Orchestra, the former Big Barchem Band. This allows him to work with and write for artists as Toots Thielemans, Lew Tabackin, Kenny Wheeler, James Moody, Jiggs Whigham, Lee Konitz, Peter Weniger, Herb Geller, Bobby Shew, Ronnie Cuber, Philip Catherine and many others.

• The CD ‘Magnifying-glass’ (1998), played by the Big Barchem Band, contains compositions and arrangements of Joan. Guest soloist is the German soprano-and tenor saxophonist Peter Weniger.
• On the CD of The Millennium Jazz Orchestra, ‘Triangular’ (2000), with the famous Belgian guitar player Philip Catherine as guest soloist, all tracks have been composed and/or arranged 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 singer Fay Claassen.
• The album, with the famous American alto saxophonist Dick Oatts, is released in the autumn of 2005. 
The CD 'Oattsnotes' contains compositions of both Dick and Joan, all arrangements, however, are written by Joan Reinders.
• The newest album 'Pretty Pumps' (2010), contains only compositions of Joan Reinders and played by the Millennium Jazz Orchestra. This CD features the whole orchestra.

Furthermore, as an arranger Joan writes for the Metropole Orchestra, de WDR big band (Cologne), the Big Band of the Hessischer Rundfunk (Frankfurt), the Orchestra of the Royal Dutch Air Force.
His composition ‘Confluence’, a 35 minute suite, was recorded in July 1999 by the Metropole Orchestra, conducted by Vince Mendoza, for the NPS radio pro-gramme “The Bands”.

His latest works are composition assignments for other ensembles such as:
• The composition 'Stretch' especially written for Percussion Ensemble S.D.G. Ommen, for the World Music Contest in Kerkrade in 2001.
• The composition ‘Fourth For Three’, written for the Betty Bakker Trio. This work was performed for the first time in October 2002 in the IJsbreker in Amsterdam.
• The composition ‘Overijssel’ was written for the latest project of Loet van der Lee: Holland in Jazz. This CD was released in March 2003.
• The composition 'Aphrodite' for the Dutch Fanfare Championships in 2003, held in the Lawei in Drachten. Drachten.
• The composition 'Octotonic Flow' for the Percussion Ensemble S.D.G. Ommen, for the World Music Contest in Kerkrade in 2009.
• The composition 'Studiosa Omnia Vincit' for the wind band Harmonie Crescendo Gramsbergen, to celebrate a hundred-year anniversary.
• The composition 'Dim Talk', written for Jenita Veurink as a cross-over between classical musicians and a jazz rhythm section.

On November 7th 2003 Joan 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”.

All CDs have brought about many warm reactions here and abroad. Some of the many enthusiastic comments:

‘The performances are first rate, and excellent writing. Bravo to everyone and special congrats to the arranger.’ 
John Clayton

‘Getting back to Joan Reinders, I am stunned by the quality of his arrangements throughout. His brilliantly imaginative approach to standards has me in awe.’ 
John Killoch (www.j.r.killoch.btinternet.co.uk/amends.htm)

'Your music was beautifully played by the band and some of the music was extra-special ('Triangular').’ 
Bob Florence

‘Reinders’ compositions are never less than compelling…’ 

‘Reinders must have won that masterful American arranger’s heart, as Holman writes in the liner notes:
“I wasn’t prepared for this kind of writing and playing. I’m really impressed by the charts. This is great music, performed with spirit and dedication.”
John Bowers (December 2000: www.allaboutjazz.com)