Paul Giess

Paul Giess is a Philadelphia-based musician, producer, and educator whose musicianship crosses traditional boundaries. Paul’s 2021 album “Hymns Vol. 1” was released on Ropeadope Records with Downbeat Magazine recognizing his "lyrical, highly expressive trumpet work,”.

In 2024 Paul was featured on Jamaaladeen Tacuma’s album “The Lighthouse” alongside Odean Pope, Calvin Weston and Marc Cary. In 2024 Paul was also a featured composer for a WHYY podcast, Philadelphia Revealed, composing a variety of music in addition to the theme. That same summer, Paul joined Jamaaladeen Tacauma’s Groove Al a Moroc at the Timitar Festival in Agadir Morocco.

After returning from, Morocco Paul started his new group as a leader “Untethered”. Playing what their drummer Grant Calvin Weston dubs “Spontaneous Creative Composition. The group, an intergenerational venture, has brought to the stage musicians including Brandon Ross, Calvin Weston, Kayla Childs, Max Hoenig, Timothy Ragsdale, Lee Clarke, Matthew Little and Rodrigo Pichardo.

While offering bootlegs of each performance along the way, the release of the August 2025 album “Grasping for the Moon” features the core members of Paul Giess, Calvin Weston, Timothy Ragesdale and Lee Clarke. The album drew critical acclaim and was featured on Bandcamp Daily as Album of the Day, Peter Margasak writes “the music is in constant flux, opening up and tightening, cooling down and catching fire, riding stasis and exploding with hyperactive motion.". Which prompted other reviews, “Grasping for the Moon isn’t just jazz; it’s a living, breathing soundscape that rewards close, repeated listening" (Twisted Soul Music). While the ensemble’s goals are to create its own unique sound, comparisons are often made to Miles Davis’ electric sounds of the 1970s. The rest of 2025 was equally exciting and included performances at Nublu NYC, Cedar Park Jazz Series, Turks Head Music Festival, The Producers Guild Community Festival, The Black Squirrel Club and the Chester County Restaurant Festival.

Paul’s resume prior to Untethered is extensive and include being awarded the 2018 McKnight Visiting Composers Residency, performances at the 2023 Winter Jazz Festival and the 2024 Lancaster Avenue Jazz festival with Jamaaladeen Tacuma as well as long standing collaborations with Dr. Guthrie Ramsey, professor emeritus at UPENN and Yolanda Wisher, former Poet Laureate of Philadelphia, Kimpedro Rodriguez, Marcell Bellinger and Kendrah Butler-Waters.