Paul Plimley


Paul Plimley is a free jazz pianist and vibraphonist. He is one of the doyens of the Canadian jazz avant-garde, a co-founder of the New Orchestra Workshop Society and frequent collaborator with the bassist Lisle Ellis. He is well versed in classical music and in all styles of jazz; he was one of the first and most convincing interpreters of Ornette Coleman's music on the piano.
Plimley studied classical piano under Kum-Sing Lee at the University of British Columbia. In 1978-9 he studied with Karl Berger and Cecil Taylor at the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, NY. In 1977 he founded the New Orchestra Workshop, and he has been active in many of the ensembles associated with NOW, including the NOW Orchestra.
His work with Lisle Ellis is extensive, and includes the duo CD Both Sides of the Same Mirror ; When Silence Pulls, with Andrew Cyrille ; Noir, with Bruce Freedman and Gregg Bendian ; Density of the Lovestruck Demons with Donald Robinson ; and Safecrackers with Scott Amendola. He made two recordings for Hat Art: the collection of Ornette Coleman interpretations, Kaleidoscopes, and, a revisiting of Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite called Sweet Freedom, Now What?. In May 2000 he recorded a live act at the 17th International Festival of New Music in Victoriaville, Quebec with John Oswald, Marilyn Crispell and Cecil Taylor. The album was released at Victo Records.
The still Vancouver based musician is a regular at the annual Vancouver International Jazz Festival.

Discography

Solo albums

With Lisle Ellis
With Barry Guy
With Trichy Sankaran
With John Oswald, Marilyn Crispell and Cecil Taylor
With Joe McPhee
With Henry Kaiser
With Mei Han
With Anthony Davis