Make Music Not War: Alina Bzhezhinska and Tony Kofi
Take a saxophone. Add Ghana with a lot of respect for Pharoah Sanders and Alice and John Coltrane, and heaps of kindness. Plus some Ukraine **радість and an impressive jazz harp. Contemporary but approachable, Tony Kofi and Alina Bzhezhinska offered us two hours of joy. Forget the curfew — let them play all night (they would!)
Joining forces for a celebration of Pharoah Sanders (Altera Vita (for Pharoah Sanders)), they’ve continued in an album — which was wonderfully played through in the second half. A celebration of musicianship too — there was some terrific percussion, and I loved how the trio here respected and appreciated each other — and indeed, vibed. Tony Kofi’s talent mixed with heartfelt humility is lovely, and I enjoyed Alina Bzhezhinska’s introductions to different pieces, especially the tribute to her late father.
The complexity of the harp sounds amazing — and I loved Kofi’s mixture of powerful saxophone mixed with percussion, such as a tambourine under foot. A life affirming new album — enjoy and leave with wonder (and some merch!)
- * Really hoping I’ve said joy in Ukrainian here**
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