Paul Klemperer works as a bandleader, teacher, composer and writer. His team at P.K.S.A.X. provides a variety of music for all events, as well as educational classes, workshops, and lectures, and many other products and services.
Born in Boston, Paul discovered jazz at an early age, sneaking into smokey clubs by age 13. He studied with jazz legends Archie Shepp, Max Roach and Ray Copeland before moving to Austin in 1982. There he has worked with many great artists in the blues, roots and jazz traditions, such as Marcia Ball, Angela Strehli, Doyle Bramhall, Malford Milligan, Seth Walker, Nick Curran, and members of the Fabulous Thunderbirds.
Paul earned his master’s degree in Ethnomusicology at the University of Texas in 1991. He teaches private and group classes in clarinet & saxophone, jazz history & theory, and issues in music & culture. He also writes fiction and essays on many topics.
Paul has produced five CD’s representing the groups he leads: Manteca Beat (classic R&B, Latin, jazz, and international cabaret), My Exotic Other (world music), The Klemperer Group (acid jazz & experimental), and Paul’s original jazz and pop compositions. He has toured nationally and internationally for over 30 years, and continues to divide his time between Austin and the road, bringing his soulful saxophone sound across the U.S., Latin America, Europe and Asia.
In addition to his own groups, Paul plays with numerous Texas bands, spanning many genres. Here’s a partial list:
Marcia Ball, Mr. Fabulous, The James Hinkle Band, The Jitterbug Vipers, The Jazz Pharoahs, The Bustamovalators, Larry Lange and his Lonely Knights, The Copa Kings, The Austin Jazz Band, Austin Community College Big Band, Memphis Train Revue, Hot Wax, River City Soul, Duck Soup, Sangeet Millennium, Bamako Airlines, Zoumountchie, La Strada, The Golden Arm Trio, Bee vs. Moth.
From the blog:
“I have been playing music in Austin for a long time. Lots of bands, styles, venues, you name it. For me music is just music. Like Duke Ellington said (I paraphrase): ‘There’s two kinds of music: good and bad.’ Part of why I stay in Austin is the creative cross-pollination among musicians. After being on the road, it’s always good to come home to Austin.”