Molenaar Big Band

About

Molenaar Big Band has spent decades at the top of the Dutch amateur jazz orchestra scene. The band was founded by Jan Molenaar, who led it for more than fifty years, and it now operates under the direction of Loet van der Lee, a trumpeter, composer and conductor. That continuity of leadership shows in the music: the band holds on to the swing era traditions that shaped it while leaving room for fresh arrangements and contemporary compositions. Van der Lee also writes original work for the band, giving individual soloists space to shine alongside his own trumpet playing. The repertoire spans jazz standards, swing classics and musical theatre material, held together by a reputation for energy and a genuine sense of enjoyment on stage. Guest vocalists Denise Jannah and Ronald Douglas are both longtime friends of the orchestra and have appeared as soloists with the band on multiple occasions.