Marjorie Barnes can rightfully be called a ‘grande dame’ of jazz singing, with over five decades of experience all over the world. Now she returns to the songs of her youth with the Millennium Jazz Orchestra. Their acclaimed album Both Sides Now will be performed in its entirety, alongside classics in special Christmas arrangements by band leader Joan Reinders. Marjorie Barnes says the album is like a journey through different moments in her life. ‘I have lived a lot of life’, she says. ‘This is what you bring along while telling your story.’

Marjorie Barnes grew up in New York and has lived in London, Paris and Vienna, before she settled in The Netherlands. She sang on Broadway and collaborated with legends such as Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne and Sammy Davis Junior. ‘I don’t think there’s anything more exciting than a big band’, she concludes. ‘Millennium Jazz Orchestra is truly one of the best in The Netherlands.’ The group led by conductor/arranger Joan Reinders has been delivering solid big band jazz for over thirty years, performing at North Sea Jazz and Concertgebouw and collaborating with legends such as Toots Thielemans and Lee Konitz.

Joan Reinders arrangements and director
Marjorie Barnes soloist

Gerlo Hesselink alto sax/soprano sax/flute, Rob Sijben alto sax/soprano sax/clarinet/flute, Joao Driessen tenor sax, soprano sax/clarinet/flute, Luuk de Vries tenor sax/soprano sax/clarinet/flute, Job Helmers baritone sax/bass clarinet, Bas Konings trumpet/flugelhorn, Florian Sperzel trumpet/flugelhorn, Rémi Keupink trumpet/flugelhorn, Herman Nijkamp trumpet/flugelhorn, Anne-Marie ten Heggeler trumpet/flugelhorn, Gregor Sperzel trombone, Simon Pugsley trombone, Jan Peter van der Hoeve trombone, Lars de Bie bass trombone/bass tuba, Dirk Balthaus piano, Bart Tarenskeen double bass, Felix Schlarmann drums