Paul Giess

Paul Giess is a Philadelphia‑based musician, producer, educator, and composer whose versatile talents span jazz, funk, sound design, and multimedia storytelling.

Paul Giess is a Philadelphia‑based musician, producer, educator, and composer whose versatile talents span jazz, funk, sound design, and multimedia storytelling. Praised by DownBeat Magazine for his “lyrical, highly expressive trumpet work,” Paul has collaborated with luminaries including Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Grant Calvin Weston, Yolanda Wisher, and Guthrie Ramsey. In 2024, he featured on Tacuma’s album The Lighthouse, scored the WHYY podcast Philadelphia Revealed, and brought Tacuma’s ensembles to international and local stages—from Agadir, Morocco to the Lancaster Avenue Jazz Festival.

That same year, he received a grant from Scribe Video to record oral histories of Philadelphia’s jazz elders, collaborating with Rutgers’ Christiana Jackson to preserve stories of Andy Aaron, Lovett Hines, and Cullen Knight. His ensemble Untethered pushes improvisational boundaries with drumming from Grant Calvin Weston and rising Philly innovators. Paul also leads immersive theatrical works like Rubr Duki Dance Party and teaches through Artsmart, Mill Creek School, and The Concept School. His life’s work is rooted in curiosity, community, and sonic exploration.