Paul Plimley
Paul Horace Plimley (16 March 1953 – 18 May 2022) was a free jazz pianist and vibraphonist. He was 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 was 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).
Also recorded as Paul Horace Plimley
Paul Plimley

Jhayne from Vancouver, Canada · Children's Fest, Paul Uploaded by braddjwinter · CC BY 2.0
- Name
- Paul Plimley
- Born
- 16 March 1953
- Birthplace
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Died
- 18 May 2022
- Occupation
- Instrumentalist
- Nationality
- Canada
- Fields
- jazz
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Documentary summary
Paul Horace Plimley (16 March 1953 – 18 May 2022) was a free jazz pianist and vibraphonist. He was 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 was 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).
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wikidata · Q2623116 · wikipedia · Paul Plimley
In this article
Biography
Biography
Paul Plimley was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Plimley studied classical piano under Kum-Sing Lee at the University of British Columbia (1971–73). In 1978–79 he studied with Karl Berger and Cecil Taylor at the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, NY. In 1977, he founded the New Orchestra Workshop (NOW), 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). He made 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? 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. He was a regular performer at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Plimley died in Vancouver at the age of 69 on 18 May 2022 from lung cancer.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Paul Plimley • Born — 16 March 1953 • Birthplace — Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • Died — 18 May 2022 • Place of death — Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • Genre — Jazz • Occupation — Instrumentalist • Instrument — Piano, vibraphone • Website — http: www.paulplimley.com
Solo albums
Solo albums
• 1995: Everything in Stages (Songlines)
As band leader
As band leader
With Lisle Ellis • 1991: When Silence Pulls with Andrew Cyrille (Music & Arts) • 1992: Kaleidoscopes (Hat Art) • 1993: Noir (Les Disques Victo) with Gregg Bendian With Barry Guy • 1997: Sensology (Maya) • 2012: Hexentrio (Intakt), with Lucas Niggli With Trichy Sankaran • 1998: Ivory Ganesh Meets Doctor Drums (Songlines) With John Oswald, Marilyn Crispell and Cecil Taylor • 2001: Complicité (Les Disques Victo)
Collaborations
Collaborations
With Joe McPhee • 1995: Sweet Freedom - Now What? (Hat Hut) With Henry Kaiser • 1999: Passwords (Spool), with Danielle DeGruttola • 2012: The Starbreak Splatterlight (There), with Weasel Walter and Lukas Ligeti With Mei Han • 2006: Ume (ZA Discs) With Anthony Davis • 2016: Past Piano Present | Live at Western Front 1985 - 2015 (Western Front New Music), including with Al Neil and John Kameel Farah With Glenn Spearman • Free Worlds (Black Saint, 2000)
TV appearances
TV appearances
• In the Key of Eh! Canadian Jazz Piano (1996) • Duos: the jazz sessions (2000) • Solos: the jazz sessions (2004)
Places
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Places
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Paul Plimley was born at Vancouver.
Birthplace
Paul Plimley died at Vancouver.
Deathplace
Vancouver.
Birth place
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Paul Plimley”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q2623116: Paul Plimley
General reference · Wikidata
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reference work
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General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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