Globe Unity Orchestra

One of the earliest large-group endeavors attempted in the European free jazz movement, the Globe Unity Orchestra was founded by German pianist <a href="spotify:artist:2gYxwgFrlv0jvphFmL3PT0">Alexander Von Schlippenbach</a> in 1966, at first for the specific purpose of performing his composition "Globe Unity," which was commissioned for the Berliner Jazztage. Initially, the 19-piece orchestra combined saxophonist <a href="spotify:artist:5DlFW9TwvDgSJHJuufuiAO">Peter Brotzmann</a>'s trio and trumpeter <a href="spotify:artist:4gBdaOEelc50MG1QmlACtu">Manfred Schoof</a>'s quintet with a phalanx of other early giants of European free jazz (mostly from Germany); they included, among many others, trombonist <a href="spotify:artist:6smduqXQTpYLxA6MKAJ7pw">Albert Mangelsdorff</a>, woodwind players <a href="spotify:artist:24Xs3oLPEBbRbjRa7v654F">Gunter Hampel</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:4X0yg3kP4yvppbWjJCGnje">Willem Breuker</a>, vibist <a href="spotify:artist:52moXqtWO6xU1tPREt3fvn">Karl Berger</a>, bassists Buschi Niebergall and <a href="spotify:artist:3rvehwC8q4z7YG39y1Dhvk">Peter Kowald</a>, and drummers <a href="spotify:artist:6fquZ594tl1ndTXdKXwvtb">Jaki Liebezeit</a> (of the rock group Can) and <a href="spotify:artist:3JwG83ht3HuKA1aXgdlCZX">Sven-Åke Johansson</a>. The initial performance was a historic and rousingly cacophonous success, and <a href="spotify:artist:2gYxwgFrlv0jvphFmL3PT0">Von Schlippenbach</a> kept the group going, serving as its musical director for most of the next two decades. Naturally, the membership fluctuated quite a bit; by the early '70s, the group had more of a British presence, with players like guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:0NiVnzdZVyaHThgTofobW2">Derek Bailey</a>, saxophonist <a href="spotify:artist:42WVIJPKijZYsOWhNqnAke">Evan Parker</a>, and trombonists <a href="spotify:artist:4IH1FMuTeVd3fGsPVJMKI2">Malcolm Griffiths</a> and Paul Rutherford, plus trumpeter <a href="spotify:artist:2GIms8u3bruipn5MOR5wcs">Kenny Wheeler</a> and drummer <a href="spotify:artist:0tmLlnSIrAb8NZajutucCC">Han Bennink</a>. <a href="spotify:artist:2gYxwgFrlv0jvphFmL3PT0">Von Schlippenbach</a> left for a bit in 1971, but returned the following year, and the group began playing outside of Germany more often beginning in 1974, which also marked the point at which more of their music was preserved on record (much of it on FMP). As the orchestra evolved, it relied less and less on structured arrangements, eventually becoming completely free. However, since a 20th-anniversary celebration and recording session, the group has mostly been silent. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi