Guitarist and composer Reinier Baas (1985, Hilversum, Netherlands) is one of the most outstanding and young figures in the current Dutch jazz scene.

Since 2010, he has led The More Socially Relevant Jazz Music Ensemble. This quintet is completed by saxophonists Ben van Gelder and Maarten Hogenhuis, along with drummer Mark Schilders and bassist Sean Fasciana, and they have already earned a reputation as "the most fascinating and interesting band in the Netherlands" (Volkskrant).

With their irreverent nature, their peculiar visual language and their originality in improvisation, they won the prestigious Edison Award 2013.

The quintet seeks to unify independent alternative music with contemporary classical, jazz, and improvisational music. Their influences range from Brahms to Coltrane, Kendrick Lamar, and the Arctic Monkeys, and their compositions range from the complex and intricate to the most danceable.

Reinier Baas graduated from the Amsterdam Conservatory in 2010 with a perfect 10. Part of his training was also completed at the Manhattan School of Music in New York.

He has performed at major international festivals and venues around the world, including the North Sea Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival, 12 Points Festival, Wellington Jazz Festival, the Bimhuis, Concertgebouw and many more.

As a soloist, he has also performed with the Metropole Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra, and the National Youth Jazz Orchestra.

He has been a musician in the formations of such important names as Han Bennink, Gregory Porter, Chris Speed, Benjamin Herman, Nederlands Blazers Ensemble, Ben van Gelder, Hans Teeuwen and Jesse van Rull.

In 2015, both the North Sea Jazz Festival and the November Music Festival commissioned new musical compositions from him.

Reinier Baas is a member of the New Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra and teaches at the conservatories of Amsterdam and Rotterdam. More information at: http://www.reinierbaas.com