Peter Paulsen Quintet at Chris' Jazz Cafe

Peter paulsen, bassist/composer/educator/band leader has put together a new quintet specifically for a series of new compositions he has been working on after recently receiving a PEW Fellowship in Music Composition. While this band, at first glance, might be considered a jazz quintet, there are many other influences at play here in the compositions and interpretation that mix elements of classical composition with interactive improvisation; folk song with art song; as well as an ensemble dynamic that continues to develop and evolve with each performance.
Peter Paulsen Quintet...

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Peter paulsen, bassist/composer/educator/band leader has put together a new quintet specifically for a series of new compositions he has been working on after recently receiving a PEW Fellowship in Music Composition. While this band, at first glance, might be considered a jazz quintet, there are many other influences at play here in the compositions and interpretation that mix elements of classical composition with interactive improvisation; folk song with art song; as well as an ensemble dynamic that continues to develop and evolve with each performance.
Peter Paulsen Quintet
~featuring~
Chris Bacas – saxophones
Jonathan Ragonese - saxophones
Mike Frank – piano
Chris Hanning - percussion

Peter Paulsen makes his home in West Chester, PA and is Professor of Double Bass/Jazz Studies at West Chester University. He splits his time as a performer between Principal Bass with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Principal Bass of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, Director of the new music ensemble, “Turks Head Knot” and leading his numerous incarnations of jazz groups.
Peter Paulsen has released four critically acclaimed CDs under his name that have all received international airplay and print reviews.
Three-Stranded Cord R&L Records
“Intelligent…hard swinging…wonderfully sensitive and imaginative…great band dynamic…Paulsen’s playing is emotionally charged and he’s not afraid to take risks,” says DoubleBassist Magazine

Tri-Cycle Wahbo Records
“Tri-Cycle is a mix of Paulsen originals and arrangements…but Paulsen’s arrangements take that material quite far, massaging it into a personal aesthetic so completely that while the familiar themes are there, the music feels one of a kind with the original compositions – as if they’d all come from the same pen,” writes John Kelman on AllAboutJazz.com

Change of Scenery Wahbo Records
“Peter Paulsen is a versatile double bassist, at home playing jazz or classical styles, he’s a dedicated educator, and if that’s not enough, he’s also an imaginative composer – Paulsen’s compositions come out of the jazz tradition, sometimes very literally as in B’sB, a famous Bird blues; but at the same time, he acknowledges classical influences and uses classical composition techniques.” Chris Kosky of Bass World
Goes Without Saying SquarePegWorks
“Peter Paulsen brings seductive compositions to the table, each a model of smart orchestration and rhythmic and harmonic subtlety, marked by a truly individual touch,” writes David Adler in New York City Jazz Record.

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