Paul was born in Aachen in Germany in 1949 and played the drums as a child. Self-taught, from the age of 14 he played in groups of various jazz styles and popular musics and from 1969 has worked almost exclusively as an improviser on individually selected instruments. He has worked internationally with most of the leading musicians in free jazz and free improvisation, including the Globe Unity Orchestra, the Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, the Schlippenbach trio, Quintet Moderne, Company, and a duo with Paul Lytton, and has undertaken concert tours in more than 40 countries. Despite some rare solo performances and occasional concerts with ad hoc groups, as well involvement in projects with film, dance and actors, his main interest is musical improvisation in fixed small groups.