The future of jazz has risen – Jazzism
Teus Nobel is one of those once-in-a-generation guys that bring it ALL to the table – Christian Scott (US)
Already during his early years at the Codarts University for the Arts (Rotterdam), trumpeter Teus Nobel started touring all over Europe with the Rotterdam Ska Jazz Foundation. They played in clubs an festivals in a.o. Italy, Germany, Poland, Czechia and Russia and received international praise for their album “Motif Loco” (2007). A period in which Teus also became an in-demand player in the commercial music scene, playing over 600 shows of theater- and musical productions like Grease, Fame, Footloose, Wicked and Saturday Night Fever.
In 2010, Teus joined the dutch Royal Airforce Orchestra as their jazz soloist. Together with the renowned Metropole Orkest, this orchestra is the only fulltime jazz- and pop-orchestra of the Netherlands. Teus would turn out to be their trumpet soloist for 9 years straight and contributed multiple of his compositions to their repertoire.
In the meanwhile, still in 2010, Brittish producer Simon Sixsmith added Teus to his studioproject Black Gold 360, recording the albums “LM6iX” and “20 Country Love Songs”. These freeware albums were downloaded over 500.000 times worldwide and the list of praising reviews was endless. A new Black Gold 360 production, “Postcards From The Revelator”, will be released in 2020.
In 2012, Teus released his first solo album, an album called “Flow”. The album featured several dutch artists, including alto star Ben van Gelder. The band was welcomed as a ‘fresh and wayward quintet’ (newspaper Parool) and an ‘interesting new group’ (magazine Jazzism) and Teus was called out “Soul & Jazz Talent” bij Radio 6. The album single “Shifting Expectations” was #1 in the iTunes jazz charts for over a week and Teus’ Liquid Music Quintet made their appearance in multiple radioshows, introduced as the ‘new kid on the block’.
He had made his mark as a jazz player and started working with multiple renowned artists during the second decade of this century, including Caro Emerald, The Kyteman Orchestra, Qeaux Qeaux Joans, Trijntje Oosterhuis, Hans Dulfer, Ntjam Rosie and many others. Others like for example American soul legend Frank McComb (Buckshot LeFonque), with whom he boldly jumped on stage in 2013 to play a solo on his hit-song “Another Day”. After this specific concert had ended, McComb stated ‘from now on, you are with ME’. This resulted in multiple concerts with McCombs quartet, including the Klaipeda Castle Festival in Latvia, and an appearance on McCombs album “Another Love Story” (2016).
In 2014, Teus released his second album, “Legacy”. With a fully renovated band, he honored the legacy of his trumpet heroes, such as Roy Hargrove, Christian Scott and Woody Shaw. Ilja Reijngoud (trombone) and Ben van den Dungen (tenor) made guest appearances on this new album, which was again welcomed with praising reviews and a Laren Jazz Award (2015). Teus made his first appearances on television as a composer and bandleader, performing his music in “Vrije Geluiden” and “De Wereld Draait Door”.
Album number three followed in 2016. A cooperation with producer/composer/multi-instrumentalist Merlijn Verboom resulted in the album “Social Music”. The title refers to a Miles Davis quote in which he preferred to call jazz ‘social music’. Their ‘dirty electronic jazz’ album made a blend between electronics and acoustic instruments like violin (Yannick Hiwat), bass clarinet (Joris Roelofs) and bassoon (Bram van Sambeek). With the Social Music quintet and Hiwat on violin, Teus made his debut as a bandleader on the North Sea Jazz Festival (2016).
In search of stretching the boundaries of his musical skills, Teus decided to obtain his masters degree in jazz at Codarts University of the Arts between 2016 and 2018 (Rotterdam), even though it had been 10 years after completing his bachelor in 2006. He dedicated his artistic research to the intellectual legacy of trumpeter Woody Shaw and received his Master of Music degree certificate (graduated Cum Laude) on July 4th 2018, the joyful day of his birthday on which he brought his parents the news of the expectance of their grandson Bix, named after trumpeter Bix Beiderbecke.
In August 2018, Teus was featured as guest soloist with the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw. In the (sold-out) big hall of the renowned Concertgebouw and with Yuri Honing on tenor, they performed the concert “A Tribute To Miles Davis” – including Teus’ original composition “Quiet Now”, arranged for bigband.
A turbulent 2019 started with the release of a fourth album, “Journey Of Man”, dedicated to the birth of Teus’ son Bix Nobel. ‘The album that underlines his breakthrough’, as stated by newspaper NRC. Newspaper De Volkskrant awarded the quartets concert at the Bimhuis (Amsterdam, only 4 days after the birth of Bix) with a 5-star review, stating that it was ‘one of the finest experiences a jazz lover could wish for’.
Album number five “Saudade”, including a big string section, was released in December of that same year, sadly enough dedicated to the loss of his father. The album featured music of Brasilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim. A step in a new direction, which was nonetheless appreciated by the press: “Teus Nobel keeps surprising us with his versatility” (newspaper De Volkskrant), “Nobel grants us with a surprise here” (newspaper Nederlands Dagblad).
In between releasing these two albums, Teus decided to quit his job at the Royal Airforce Orchestra after nine years of employment, with the intention of fully aiming for an international career as freelance jazz soloist. In favor of supporting his ambitions, he founded the Liberty Music Foundation.
Early 2020, a new professional bigband entered the dutch music scene: Paradox Jazz Orchestra. As co-founder and solo trumpeter of the bigband, Teus Nobel and his musical partner/arranger/bandleader/ Jasper Staps aim for keeping a century of bigband legacy alive for the dutch audience. With jazzclub Paradox (Tilburg, NL) as their ‘homebase’, their concept Create & Play (public rehearsal directly followed by a concert) had been widely successful with sold-out concerts only, until the Covid-19 problems ended their series. They will continue their concerts in 2021, including the presentation of their debut album “Remembering The Skymasters”.
In the spring of 2021, Wedgeview Music and Teus Nobel released a sequel to their Brazilian tribute album “Saudade”, called “Tanto Amor”. Where on “Saudade” the focus was on the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, “Tanto Amor” deals with the music of Jobim’s natural successor: Ivan Lins. Again accompanied by rhythm section + string orchestra, but now stripped of the pianopart to create even more harmonic space, Nobel continues to put the emphasis on the presentation of the melody. Or, in the words of De Volkskrant: ‘Nobel’s elegant, soft-hearted playing gets all the space it deserves.’
September 10th 2021, the Teus Nobel | Liberty Group will release their new live album “Pleasure Is The Measure”. Recorded for a live audience during 4 concerts (June 2021) in jazzclub Paradox (Tilburg), the musical message focusses on pleasure on stage, rather than trying to create music that includes everyone. The compositions facilitate the option to turn a song upside-down within the blink of an eye and give these 4 free musicians the liberty they strive for.
Since September 2020, Teus is connected to the Academy for Music and Performing Arts (AMPA) in Tilburg, as a trumpetteacher for their jazzdepartement.
Teus Nobel has worked with:
JAZZ
a.o. Jef Neve, Rembrandt Frerichs, Ilja Reijngoud, Reinier Baas, Ben van Gelder, Joris Roelofs, Bart Wirtz, Hans Dulfer, Candy Dulfer, Maria Mendes, Izaline Calister, Monsieur Dubois, Rotterdam Ska Jazz Foundation, Wicked Jazz Sounds, Sven Hammond Soul, Victor Dey Jr., Bernard Ayisa, Vincent Houdijk, Rogier Telderman
BIGBANDS / ORCHESTRAS
a.o. Paradox Jazz Orchestra, Jazzorchestra Of The Concertgebouw, Marutyri, New Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra, Millenium Jazz Orchestra, Kyteman Orchestra, Konrad Kosseleck Bigband, Orkest Koninklijke Luchtmacht, Antwerp Philharmonic Orchestra (Night Of The Proms)
POP
a.o. Caro Emerald, Frazey Ford, Brandon Flowers, Milow, John Miles, Seal, Qeaux Qeaux Joans, Frank McComb, Ntjam Rosie, Jacqueline Govaert, Suzanne Vega, Leona Philippo, Trijntje Oosterhuis, Lorren, Jim Bakkum, Ellen ten Damme, Steffen Morrison, Jarred Grant, Berget Lewis, Michel David
THEATER / MUSICAL
Wicked, Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Fame, Footloose, Hairspray, Annie, Hello Dolly, Cabaret, Charley, La Cage Aux Folles, Assepoester, Marry Poppins, Pettycoat, Moeder Ik Wil Bij De Revue, The Producers
CONCERTS IN:
The Netherlands, Belgium, France, England, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Austria, Serbia, Croatia, Czechia, Russia, Ghana, Canada, Brazil, Australie, Thailand and the United States.
Discography:
What A Difference A Day Makes – Unicef (2004)
Cheap Propaganda – Illicit (2006)
Motif Loco – Rotterdam Ska Jazz Foundation (2007)
LM6iX – Black Gold 360 (2010)
FLOW – Teus Nobel LMQ (2012)
No Man’s Land – Qeaux Qeaux Joans (2012)
The V’s – Simon Sixsmith (2013)
20 Country Love Songs – Black Gold 360 (2014)
Year Without Summer – Mark Lotterman (2014)
La Boheme – Marijn Brouwers (2014)
Legacy – Teus Nobel Quintet (2014)
One Hundred Years Of Grace – Fifty Dollar Band (2014)
Shades Of Blue – Lorren (2015)
Consumer Electronics – Alive! Modern Savior (2016)
Gonnie & Vriendjes – Ageeth de Haan (2016)
A Jazz Tribute To Abba – Judith Nijland (2016)
Vortex – Vinnie Vibes (2016)
Social Music – Teus Nobel / Merlijn Verboom (2016)
Universal Resonance – Mark de Jong & Latineo (2016)
Another Love Story – Frank McComb (US) (2016)
Spirit Control – Jef Neve (2017)
Dreamscape – Trifid (2018)
Breaking Cycles – Ntjam Rosie (2018)
My Indigo – My Indigo (2018)
Achterkant van Nederland – Maxime (2018)
Journey Of Man – Teus Nobel | Liberty Group (2019)
Saudade – Teus Nobel (2019)
Emergo – The New York Second (2020)
Mysterium – Jef Neve (2020)
People Flow – Erik Verweij Trio (2020)
Tanto Amor – Teus Nobel (2021)
Pleasure Is The Measure – Teus Nobel (2020)
TV-performances:
Raymann Is Laat w/ Caro Emerald (2009)
Opium TV w/ Teus Nobel Quintet (2012)
Vrije Geluiden w/ Teus Nobel Quintet
Koffietijd w/ Dennis Kroon (2015)
DWDD w/ Teus Nobel Quintet (2015)
DWDD w/ Harry Sacksioni (2015)
DWDD w/ Eric Vaarzon Morel (2015)
DWDD w/ A Day In Harlem (2015)
DWDD w/ Teus Nobel & Angelo Toorre (2015)
DWDD w/ Teus Nobel feat. FUSE (2015)
DWDD w/ Teus Nobel Quintet (2016)
DWDD w/ 1966 special (2016)
MAX Masterclass w/ Muziek & Brein (2017)
DWDD w/ Jan Wolkers special (2017)
Amstelconcert w/ Orkest Koninklijke Luchtmacht (2019)
DWDD w/ Jazz Special (2020)
M w/ Saudade – Edison Award(2020)
Humberto w/ Teus Nobel & Angelo Toorre (2021)