90 Lots Road
Sat 8 Aug · 21:00 · £23
Saxophonist Tony Kofi first came to prominence in the 1990’s as a member of The Jazz Warriors and Gary Cosby’s Nu Troop as well as playing with high profile musicians including Billy Higgins, Clifford Jarvis and Courtney Pine. In 2007 Tony and his quartet ft Jonathan Gee performed the complete works of Thelonious Monk at the London Jazz Festival, receiving a standing ovation for their six-hour performance (no surprise there), and in 2009, his quartet headlined the Rochester Jazz Festival in New York. And just to emphasise his international status, Tony was one of the featured saxophone players with David Murray’s iconic US band the World Saxophone Quartet, the first UK born musician in that band. Awards include the 2005 Parliamentary Jazz Awards - Best Ensemble, Radio 3 Jazz line up album of the year 2005 and 2008 BBC Jazz Awards - Best Instrumentalist as well as also being nominated for a MOBO in 2008. The quartet that Tony leads this evening celebrates the enduring legacy of the jazz standard. Joined by Federico De Vittor (piano), Mikele Montolli (double bass) and Alfonso Vitale (drums), the ensemble brings together four exceptional musicians whose collective artistry, sensitivity and swing breathe fresh life into the Great American Songbook. “Tony Kofi’s full-bodied sound, clear articulation and committed attack carry the immediacy and impact of the established masters of the jazz saxophone...his improvisations.....tell stories and have emotional purpose” Financial Times; “There is so much respect in jazz circles for Tony Kofi” Jazzwise: “Passionate… superb… heartfelt” Guardian www.tonykofimusic.com
Not the same tradition as the lineage above — a genuinely different thread to pull, if you want one.