VON SCHLIPPENBACH, ALEXANDER - Globe Unity

"Reissue, originally released in 1967. In 1966, pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach assembled his first large ensemble to play his compositions "Globe Unity" and "Sun." This 14-piece band, which brought together some of the leading figures in European improvised music, would eventually expand -- incorporating not only Europeans but also American and Asian musicians -- and assume its rightful name: Globe Unity Orchestra. In its nascent outing, beautifully recorded at Ariola Studio in Cologne, Schlippenbach's band was already sensational, performing at various festivals and solidifying the reputations of some of its star players. Most notably among these was a 25-year-old saxophonist named Peter Brötzmann, whose whole band -- saxophonist Kris Wanders, drummer Mani Neumeier, and bassist Peter Kowald, the latter of whom would for a period assume nominal leadership of Globe Unity -- was incorporated into the large Schlippenbach group. Globe Unity was Brötzmann's first outing on LP. Kowald's