Paul Bakker is an all round guitar player, living in The Netherlands in Santpoort-Zuid, near maar Amsterdam. He plays in many different styles: pop-, rock-, jazz-, blues- & crossover styles. Paul plays acoustic and electric guitar.
The Album ‘Jazz Rock Tales’ is available on all major streaming services!
Jazz Rock Tales contains Jazz Rock influenced music from the 70ties! A tribute to the music which Paul inspired at that time. Together with bass player Cees van der Laarse, Jeroen Vrolijk on drums, Jan Willem van Delft on piano/keyboards & Ruud Jansen on Hammond.
Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/nl/album/jazz-rock-tales/1581022414
Bio
The first years
*with his little sister Marleen who became a professional guitarist and guitar teacher also.
Paul starts at an early age (when he is 11 years old) ; at first classical guitar but soon he made the move towards electric guitar.
Concerning the guitar Paul is mainly influenced by: Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Ritchie Blackmore, Jimi Page, Peter Green, Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Peter Frampton, the Dutch masters Jan Akkerman & Wim Overgaauw (who became Paul’s teacher), Mick Taylor, Paco de Lucia, Wes Montgomery, George Benson & Joe Pass. But in general the great music from The Beatles to the Jazz of Miles Davis & so many great other artists did inspire him a lot.
Paul is starting to perform at the age of 15 years; starting in Symphonic Rock (nowadays called Prog Rock) in a group named ‘Gemini’; later in the direction of Jazz Rock & finally towards Jazz. Eventually he returns back to Pop music, but he likes to play in all styles between blues, rock, jazz familiair music.
Education
Paul studied and finished two Conservatory studies between 1980 and 1990. The first one was ‘Schoolmuziek B’ – 1st degree master- and the 2nd one was the study Jazz Guitar at the ‘Hilversums Conservatorium’ where he had lessons in the first 3 years from the dutch maestro Jazz Guitarist Wim Overgaauw.
Back to Fusion
In the period 1985-1990 he works besides the study Jazz Guitar as a full time guitar player in commercial bands. After his successful ending at the Conservatory in 1990, Paul turns back to his old love (fusion). In 1991 Paul becomes a member of the Amsterdam based fusion Band ´Hot Bolshevik’ (until 1999). With this group he performs mainly in The Netherlands, but also abroad (Germany, Czechoslovakia & Curacao).
Cover of the album ‘ Post Cold War Groove’ released in 1994 on which Paul is playing the guitars.
Paul (left) live at the Rhythm & Blues Festival Curacao 2004 with Hot Bolshevik / right: Konstantin Ruchadze
In the meanwhile Paul is busy in the local session circuit in Haarlem en IJmuiden (music café Stiels in Haarlem en The White Theater).
As freelancer he works between 2007 – 2008 as guitar player of ‘The European Bose Band. With this Band Paul demonstrates the luxuary Bose L speaker serie all over Europe and The Netherlands. This Band also accompanies several theater productions in The Netherlands and becomes for about one year the Band with the dutch lead singer ‘Waylon’ who nowadays has a succesful career in music (became 2nd at The Eurovision Song Contest with The Common Linnets)
From 2003 untill 2016 Paul is also a member of the local Band ‘The Ruud Jansen Band’ with the leading keyboard virtuoso Ruud Jansen.
First experience as a producer
In 1995 he works together with top guitar player Nick Vos on his first music production as a producer: they release together the single ‘Amor, Amor’ from the Spanish duo ‘Los Chumbitos’ in which are playing and singing Antonio Ruiz Fernandez & his brother Juan Ruiz Fernandez
Recording, mix & production Paul Bakker & Nick Vos
Productions since 2008
Since 2008 Paul is doing more music productions. In the recent decade he recorded, mixed & produced the following albums & projects:
Shirley Melger- Album: ‘I’m Ready’ (2008)
guitar: Paul Bakker/ arrangements, recording & mix: Paul Bakker
Astrid Nijgh – Album: ‘Tegen het Lijf’ (2008) – guitar: Paul Bakker
5 Bridges – Album: ‘The Thomas Tracks’ (2008)
Chang Ho Lee Wessel – Album: ‘Love Shake’ (2008) – guitar solo: Paul Bakker
Bran – Album: ‘Zuidpier’ (2009) – guitar: Paul Bakker
Bran – Album: ‘Branding’ (2012) – guitar: Paul Bakker
Sam Saxton – Album: ‘Unknown’ (2012)
produced by Paul Bakker /recording, mix & mastering at Power Sound Studios Amsterdam. Guitar: Paul Bakker.
Morris Brandt & Gilles van Wees,
the first Band of Morris Brandt Gilles van Wees at their highschool period was called The Curtains. These days they perform in the Band Banjee. The Curtains debut album (2014) a a whole stayed unreleased, but the Single ‘Nobody Else’ and ‘A Song About Us’ was.
‘A Song About Us’ (2014)
Rhodes – Together We Stand
Shirley Melger – New Memories (2017)
*Music & lyrics: Shirley Melger
*All vocals: Shirley Melger
*Guitar & all instruments (accept drums)
Paul Bakker.
*Drums: Jeroen Vrolijk
*Arrangements, recordings, mix & master: Paul Bakker
Bran – Staalblauw (2017)
Listen to track 2 from the Album, called: ‘Johannes de Doper’; a Dutch version of the great American Blues Traditional ‘John the Revelator’.
Shirley Melger – Back to Forward (2020)
https://open.spotify.com/track/3XSOvJJQT98SgauvAIRQAF?si=6-8V9VLcS9C3sldmcEauTw
Music & lyrics: Shirley Melger
*All vocals: Shirley Melger
*All intruments: Paul Bakker
*Arrangements, recordings, mix & master: Paul Bakker
Shirley Melger- New Memories (remix 2020)
https://open.spotify.com/track/2xiqEkLrm2Mk4Wau9AG0RZ?si=2hfejk7FTqOHc6TWFtS1AA&dd=1
Music & lyrics: Shirley Melger
All vocals: Shirley Melger
All instruments, arrangements, recording, mix & master: Paul Bakker
Abby Temson-Bounty Beach (2020)
https://open.spotify.com/album/3BmupuDQB2b6wFtYFVjzpN?si=OBgvODymS4qanzC2SaBhNA
Abby Temson- vocals & composition.
Paul Bakker: recordings, mix and mastering, all instruments & arrangements
Shirley Melger-Welcome into This Place (2023)
https://open.spotify.com/track/4X4Uoz7DPdy7T9M2yOePmA?si=FPN4LdkWR9SY7fVD6IgtZg
Shirley Melger: vocals
Ruben Drenthe: piano
Live recording with vocal overdubs
Recent Bands:
The After Beatles
Between 2002 and 2016 Paul was a member of the Band The Ruud Jansen Band.
The Ruud Jansen Band does not exist anymore, but under the name ‘ The After Beatles‘ the same musicians as before perform as a special Beatles Tribute Band, called ‘The After Beatles’. As the name tells they play only the repertoire of the Beatles (the music from the Beatles as a group, as well as the solo work from Paul, John & George.
29-3-2024 Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (tribute to Jeff Beck / Grote Kerk Beverwijk). Paul Bakker Guitar / Ruud Jansen Piano)
Guitar Tracks on Delivery
Paul is available for freelance projects as a guitarist or new projects, especial as a studio guitarist. Also you can order a guitar track on delevery which will be recorded in Paul’s studio.
For more information you can sent an e-mail to paubakker59@gmail.com
Teaching
From a long period on (since 1980) I teached mainly guitar students; mostly for a long period of years. Lots of his students are themselves professional musician now. In the MENU you can read under GITAARDOCENT (for now still in the dutch language) more about my teaching activities.
Studio
Are you looking for a studio where you have the possibility, besides recording, to incorporate Paul as a musical advisor (and even as a producer) to help finishing your musical project? Than it’s worthwhile to consider recording in Paul’s studio. Besides the fact that Paul can play guitar, bass guitar, piano & keyboards, Paul has a long list of musical contacts, due to his long experience as a musician himself, with professional musicians who are available to ask for joining the record sessions (of any instrument).
The studio exist of a separate control & recording room & a separate ‘ dry’ room where drums, and later in dubs, can be recorded. Besides guitar and bass guitar amps there is an excellent Roger 70ties drum kit, a Yamaha U1 acoustic piano, and microphones that you can find in most studio’s nowadays. For the vocal recording is a high standard vocal microphone available. Recording DAW: Studio One Professional with RME Fireface UFX hardware, which makes recording of 22 channels at once in high quality possible.
One hour recording costs €60,-.
For bigger productions there can be made arrangements about time table and the costs.
Paul Bakker 