We are thrilled to welcome Alexander von Schlippenbach's legendary Globe Unity Orchestra to Cafe OTO for a three-day residency coinciding with the group's 60th anniversary.

One of the oldest and most important free-jazz orchestras in the world, the group have been on our wishlist since we first opened. We're hugely excited to finally host them in the venue, with a 15-piece line-up including Evan Parker, Paul Lytton, Rudi Mahall, Daniel Erdmann, Axel Dörner and Aki Takase (playing four-hands piano with Schlippenbach, who also will be conducting). Big band residencies have provided some of the standout moments in OTO's history, from the Sun Ra Arkestra to Peter Brotzmann's Chicago Tentet, and these three nights should be no exception.

In 1966, pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach composed “Globe Unity,” an exclamatory free-jazz piece for big band that flew in the face of the nihilism pervading mid-century European art. It was scandalously debuted in the Berliner Philaharmonie and derided by the press as “male nonsense” and a “pandemonium in which [saxophonist] Peter Brotzmann played the role of Satan.”–Bill Shoemaker, Point of Departure

The 14-piece band who performed this composition brought together some of the leading figures in European improvised music. It 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 Schlippenbach’s band was already sensational, performing at various festivals and solidifying the reputations of some of its star players.

"Alexander von Schlippenbach is rightly regarded as one of the piano role models as one of the “first generation” of European free improvisers in the 60s. He remains one of the most charismatic and engaging pianists at the age of 87. Every note he played seemed to count, balancing sensitivity and power."– UK Jazz news, August 2025