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Alexander von Schlippenbach

Alexander von Schlippenbach
Background information
Born (1938-04-07) 7 April 1938 (age 86)
Berlin, Germany
GenresJazz, Avant-garde jazz, Free jazz, Free improvisation
OccupationMusician
InstrumentPiano
Years active1950s–present
Websiteavschlippenbach.com

Alexander von Schlippenbach (born 7 April 1938)[1] is a German jazz pianist and composer. He came to prominence in the 1960s playing free jazz in a trio with saxophonist Evan Parker and drummer Paul Lovens, and as a member of the Globe Unity Orchestra. Since the 1980s, Von Schlippenbach has explored the work of more traditional jazz composers such as Jelly Roll Morton or Thelonious Monk.

Biography

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Schlippenbach started to play piano from the age of eight and went on to study composition at Cologne under Bernd Alois Zimmermann.[1] While studying he started to play with Manfred Schoof.[1] At the age of 28 he founded the Globe Unity Orchestra.[1] In 1988, he founded the Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra,[1] a big band that has over the years comprised, among others, Willem Breuker, Paul Lovens, Misha Mengelberg, Evan Parker, Schlippenbach's wife[2] Aki Takase and Kenny Wheeler.[3][4]

In 1994, he was awarded the Albert Mangelsdorff Prize.

Schlippenbach has produced various recordings and worked for German radio channels. He played with many players of the European free jazz community. In 2005, he recorded the complete works of Thelonious Monk, which were released on CD as Monk's Casino.

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Discography

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As leader or co-leader

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With Globe Unity Orchestra

With Sven-Ake Johansson

With Manfred Schoof

With Aki Takase

With the Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra

As sideman

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With Peter Brotzmann

With Evan Parker

With others

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Alexander von Schlippenbach | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  2. ^ Alexander von Schlippenbach discography at Discogs Edit this at Wikidata
  3. ^ Layne, Joslyn: Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra at AllMusic
  4. ^ "Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra". Efi.group.shef.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 16 January 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  5. ^ Henkin, Andrey (December 2018). "Live at Café Amores: Alexander von Schlippenbach/Aki Takase (NoBusiness)". The New York City Jazz Record. No. 200. p. 21.
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