Paul Plimley

Vancouver-based pianist Paul Plimley trained in European classical music under multiple instructors connected to the University of British Columbia, yet his personal artistic direction stayed rooted in avant-jazz and creative improvisation. After two decades of work as a pianist, composer, and improviser, he drew major notice from listeners and press through a widely praised appearance alongside bassist Lisle Ellis at the 1989 Festival de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville in Quebec. Drawing from both the explosive energy and tonal openness associated with Cecil Taylor and the reflective approach linked to Paul Bley, Plimley fused these and other influences into a distinctive personal style. His performances spanned intimate solo recitals and large-group events, among them those involving Vancouver's NOW Orchestra. Beyond his enduring partnership with Ellis, his musical associates encompassed multi-instrumentalist Joe McPhee, guitarist Derek Bailey, saxophonist Glenn Spearman, trombonist George Lewis, bassists Mark Dresser and Barry Guy, and drummers Andrew Cyrille, Hamid Drake, and Han Bennink.

Plimley contributed to no fewer than twenty recordings, among them the stylistically diverse Safe-Crackers, a 1999 Victo release featuring Ellis and drummer Scott Amendola. Equally notable was his 1998 Songlines solo piano album Everything in Stages, which incorporated an interactive CD-R component that earned prominent multimedia honors across North America and Europe. Additional discs further highlight his breadth: Sensology with Barry Guy on Maya; the Max Roach-inspired Sweet Freedom, Now What? with Ellis and Joe McPhee on Hat Art; Density of the Lovestruck Demons with Ellis and drummer Donald Robinson on Music and Arts; Stable Chaos with the Rosco Blur Quartet on Red Toucan; Yo Miles!, guitarist Henry Kaiser and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith's Shanachie tribute to Miles Davis' electric work; and WOWOW by the NOW Orchestra on Spool.

Plimley obtained Canadian funding to pursue advanced rhythm training with South Indian percussionist Trichy Sankaran and received a commission to compose for the Gamelan Ensemble of Vancouver. His concert schedule took him to the du Maurier International Jazz Festival in Vancouver, New York's Knitting Factory, and Antwerp's De Singel Concert Hall. In May 2000 he revisited the Victoriaville festival for a solo set within a three-pianist program that also featured Cecil Taylor and Marilyn Crispell. Paul Plimley died from cancer on May 18, 2022, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, at the age of 69.