Harping On About Alina…

Posted by on May 10, 2019

Harping On About Alina…

Pardon me for harping on about Alina (Bzhezhinska) and Tony (Kofi), but our concert with them on Sunday 5th May was too good to let it simply disappear into ‘past events’. We knew Tony of course – Neil and I had both worked with him before. Alina and the harp as an instrument were much less familiar, although preceded by her fulsome reputation. We listened to her music, went to see her perform, and dusted off our Alice Coltrane CDs. Tony and Alina kindly agreed to play some Interplay tunes as well as bringing their own material. I proposed numbers that might suit a Coltrane-inspired programme. ‘Gratitude’, ‘Spanish Step’, ‘Slow Flame’ and ‘Rising on Thermals’ all made the cut with McCoy Tyner’s ‘Contemplation’, leaving me with the delightful task of re-arranging them for the expanded line-up. We rehearsed the new charts and studied Alina’s parts, some of which were a few notes with one-line instructions. They would depend entirely on our finding the right feel on the night. On the afternoon before the gig we worked through the whole programme – and were delighted to find there was a natural sympathy between us. Alina was clear about what she wanted and we were happy to provide it. Tony’s virtuosity in the front line seemed to throw Alan and Richard’s abilities into sharper relief, not leave them in the shade. Before the concert Alina, prompted by Matthew Wright from In The Moment, talked engagingly and humorously about her musical development and growing engagement with jazz. It is integral to In The Moment’s approach to offer insights into the music alongside its performance, and the audience enjoyed Alina’s openness and honesty. Then came the concert. Alina and Tony set out their stall with the opening sequence; ‘Wisdom Eye’ and ‘Blue Nile’ by Alice Coltrane, and Alina’s tenderly hopeful tune ‘Spero’. We supported them in our characteristic way, with Dave’s percussion in particular laying out textures and colours differing from their usual arrangements, and to which Tony and Alina readily responded. Several Interplay tunes followed, memorable for me especially for Tony’s storming solo on ‘Gratitude’, before the first set culminated with a moody and muscular ‘Dahomey Dance’. A different vibe opened the second set: Dorothy Ashby’s bright Soul-Jazz anthem ‘Action Line’, featuring electric bass and Alan’s flute. Alina then gave an ethereal aura to ‘Rising On Thermals’, sensitively accompanied by Neil with...

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Double bubble! Tony Kofi joins Alina Bzhezhinska for Interplay gig.

Posted by on Feb 28, 2019

Double bubble! Tony Kofi joins Alina Bzhezhinska for Interplay gig.

We are very excited to confirm not one but two guest artists for IJD 2019! Alina Bzhezhinska, the acclaimed harpist, is coming with the marvellous saxophonist Tony Kofi. Their recent album ‘Inspiration’ has been a fantastic success as a tribute to Alice and John Coltrane  and a showcase for Alina’s unique sound and style on the harp. Now based in London, Ukrainian Alina Bzhezhinska is an internationally renowned, exciting and accomplished harpist. She has performed with leading classical and jazz musicians and her critically acclaimed Quartet, with saxophonist Tony Kofi, led the 80th Birthday celebrations for Alice Coltrane around the UK in 2017. Their appearance at the EFG London Jazz Festival in a special triple bill featuring Denys Baptiste and Pharoah Sanders – ‘A Concert for Alice and John’ – was nominated for Best Live Experience of the Year at the 2018 Jazz FM Awards. The Quartet’s album, Inspiration, was released in June 2018. “I set myself on a mission to tell Alice and John Coltrane’s story in my own words, through my own interpretation of their music and my compositions,” explains Alina. Having ‘cut his teeth’ in the “Jazz Warriors” of the early 90’s, award-winning saxophonist Tony Kofi is well established on the international jazz scene. He has worked with many leading bands and artists including The World Saxophone Quartet, Donald Byrd, Abdullah Ibrahim, The David Murray Big Band, Ornette Coleman and Jazz Jamaica. His fluent and fiery hard-bop playing is constantly in demand and his recent projects include A Portait of Cannonball Adderley and Tony Kofi & The Organisation. This combination will give Interplay some challenges, as well as opportunities to explore the sound qualities of the harp. At the same time the three horn front line will create a richer ensemble and bring some added excitement. The tunes will be by Alina and other composers as well as from Adrian’s repertoire. Alina will give a short informal Q & A session at 6.30pm prior to the concert. Admission to the talk is free. We are also trying a different venue this time. Victoria House is a period mansion close to the centre of Leamington. It is easily reached, fully accessible and with a friendly atmosphere. Details of the gig including ticket availability are here....

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