Described as "an apt bandleader, an exceptional composer, and a superlative performer" (All About Jazz) and "a skilled composer" (Jazz Trail), Midwest-based composer, trumpet player, and educator Paul Dietrich has been performing his own compositions in various groups under his direction since 2012. The Paul Dietrich Jazz Ensemble, his 18-piece large jazz band, was formed in 2016 as an outlet for its leader's growing number of modern big-band jazz compositions. The PDJE draws inspiration from contemporary modern jazz and orchestral music to create a uniquely authentic Midwestern soundscape. Their 2019 album, Forward, featured the world-renowned drummer Clarence Penn and was hailed as "stunningly beautiful" by Audiophile Audition. In addition to his 2019 PDJE album, Dietrich has also released four albums of his own music in smaller-group contexts, two with quintet, one with quartet, and one with a nine-piece ensemble that fused a traditional jazz quintet with a string quartet.
The December 5 show will feature a variety of original compositions and new arrangements of wintery classics, all written by Dietrich. The 18-piece group will feature many of the area's best jazz musicians, including Russ Johnson, Eric Koppa, Darren Sterud, Jamie Kember, Hannah Johnson, and John Christensen.
