Description

JazzUP! presents
ALINA HIP HARP
+ TONY KOFI

Alina Bzhezhinska Harp
Mikele Montolli Electric Bass
Joel Prime Drums / Percussion
Tony Kofi - saxophone

Internationally renowned harpist Alina Bzhezhinska has a strong reputation for innovation. This time she creates a unique sound on the harp with electronics and loop pedals, supported by Mikele Montolli (bass) and Joel Prime (drums/percussion). Through a combination of original works and covers, she pays homage to some of jazz, funk and hiphop's greatest innovators. Her new trio draws from a variety of influences, including the
likes of Dorothy Ashby's 'Afro-harping', Alice Coltrane's spiritual outputs and Sun Ra's free form jazz experimentation; as well as 90's Triphop and Kuti-esque Afrobeat rhythms.

Two years ago, Bzhezhinska stormed the UK music scene when her quartet appeared at the Barbican during the EFG London Jazz Festival alongside Denys Baptiste and Pharoah Sanders - and has been nominated for Best Live Experience of the Year at the 2018 Jazz FM Awards. Later she produced her critically acclaimed album, Inspiration (Ubuntu Music), featuring award winning saxophonist Tony Kofi. She performed at the London Jazz
Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, Royal Albert Hall, Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club and WOMADelaide Festival in Australia.
Encouraged by her collaboration with Kamaal Williams, Shabaka Hatching and Ursula Rucker, she steps out in new jazz territory.

Bassist Mikele Montolli (Verona, Italy) has performed and recorded with such great artists as ''Sun Ra Arkestra'' Knoel Scott quartet and Marshall Allen, top U.K. Jazz singers Julie Dexter and Heidi Vogel, and L.A. saxophone legend Don Menza, thus building an extensive music vocabulary based on Afro-American tradition fused with years of classical training and experimental form-free music. In 2017 Montolli released his debut album "Satellite House.

Australian drummer/percussionist Joel Prime has become an important addition to British jazz. Winner of 'Australia's Best Up & Coming Drummer' competition in 2011, his versatility across congas, drum kit and all manner of Afro-Cuban and Brazilian percussion has created the opportunity for Joel to perform with Mr Little's Noisy Band, Felix Riebl and The Copasetic Foundation, amongst others.

Featuring Tony Kofi

Having 'cut his teeth' in the Jazz Warriors of the early 90's, award-winning saxophonist Tony Kofi (www.tonykofimusic.com) has gone on to establish himself as a musician, teacher and composer of authority. Tony's playing has also been a feature of many bands and artists including US-3 World Saxophone Quartet, Courtney Pine, Donald Byrd, Eddie Henderson, The David Murray Big Band and Sam Rivers, Andrew Hill, Ornette Coleman, Nu-Troop and Jazz Jamaica. His fluent and fiery hard-bop soprano/ alto/ tenor/ baritone playing is constantly in demand.

Website: https://www.alina-harpist.com/hipharpcollective

Bzhezhinska an artist to watch.
★★★★ Jane Cornwell, Evening Standard

Bzhezhinska shares with Alice (Coltrane) a mastery of the jazz harp.
★★★★★ Will Hodgkinson, The Times


+DJs: Les Jazz Rats
Eric (landlord of The Highlander Pub) and Sten (North Herts FM resident hip-hop DJ) spin jazz and rare grooves exclusively on vinyl. With the last live band set finishing at around 11.00, and a late bar til 1am, our JazzUp DJs invite you to hit the dance floor and party in earnest.

Ticket details
Entry £12 , £10 with JazzUp Loyalty Card.

Tickets available from

H-Town Rags, Hitchin
Riot Lounge, Hitchin
Jolly Brown, Hitchin
Bar 85, Hitchin
David's Music Letchworth
and on line from from WeGotTickets
http://www.wegottickets.com
and
https://robincampbell.org/shop-online

16+ with photo ID - younger patrons can be signed in at the door by a responsible adult. Like all our gigs this show finishes well in time for the last trains North and South to Cambridge/Peterborough and London and we are just a 5 minute stroll from the station.

More JazzUp details here:

WEBSITE https://jazzupuk.com
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/JazzUpC85
INSTAGRAMhttps://instagram.com/jazzuphitchin
TWITTER @JazzUpHitchin

Any further questions please contact robin@robincampbell.org

Description

Hertfordshire's Premier Music Venue

74 Whinbush Road,

Hitchin,

Hertfordshire,

England,

SG5 1PZ.

01462 434801