Alexander von Schlippenbach

Alexander von Schlippenbach is a German pianist, composer and bandleader born in Berlin in 1938 and a major figure in European free jazz. He studied composition with Bernd Alois Zimmermann and founded the Globe Unity Orchestra in 1966, helping establish large-group improvisation as a distinctive field of musical exploration.

He has maintained a long-running trio with saxophonist Evan Parker and drummer Paul Lovens and pursued creative interpretations of the music of Thelonious Monk and other jazz composers. His international recordings and performances combine forceful piano playing with an interest in spontaneous musical structures. Creative Sources documents his work as part of the continuing history of improvised music.