Paul Plimley

Paul (Horace) Plimley (b. Vancouver, 16 March 1953) 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 (an instrument usually seen as antithetical to Coleman's music).

Plimley studied classical piano under Kum-Sing Lee at the University of British Columbia (1971-1973). In 1978-1979 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" (Nine Winds, 1989); "When Silence Pulls", with Andrew Cyrille (Music & Arts, 1990); "Noir", with Bruce Freedman and Gregg Bendian (Victo, 1992); "Density of the Lovestruck Demons" with Donald Robinson (Music & Arts, 1994); and "Safecrackers" with Scott Amendola (Victo, 1999). Most notable, perhaps, are two recordings for Hat Art: the collection of Ornette Coleman interpretations, "Kaleidoscopes" (1992), and (under Joe McPhee's leadership), a revisiting of Max Roach's "Freedom Now Suite" called "Sweet Freedom, Now What?" (1994).

TV Appearances

* "In the Key of Eh! Canadian Jazz Piano" (1996)
* "Duos: the jazz sessions" (2000)
* "Solos: the jazz sessions" (2004)

External links

* [http://www.paulplimley.com Official Site]
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:26jueaw04xs7~T1 All Music]