Paul’s work includes many jazz compositions and arrangements (both instrumental and vocal) as well as assorted compositions for brass quintet, woodwind ensembles, choir and other combinations of instruments.

Significant work includes jazz tunes such as For the Three of Us and Sand Castle, and Suite No. 3, a five movement 26 minute piece for jazz orchestra which was premiered at the Canadian National Exhibition in 1978. In 1999, he composed a 2 movement suite again for jazz orchestra, Prayer and Celebration to honour the memory of Canadian saxophonist, Eddie Sossin. Birdsong is one of his most well known original compositions for children’s choir and piano (published by Boosey and Hawkes). He also has written arrangements played by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Manhattan Philharmonic Orchestra (Hymn to Freedom, Au Jardin d’Amour, and The First Ride).

Aside from these, he has written many arrangements for jazz and commercial groups of many sizes and shapes. Over the years as pianist and arranger with the Trish Colter sextet, he  contributed over 120 arrangements of standards and original songs.

The scores and lead sheets of original compositions are copyright by Paul Read (SOCAN). If you’d like a pdf of any of these, please email me (paul@paulread.ca) or leave a note on the contact page on this site.