…Bzhezhinska shares with Alice (Coltrane) a mastery of the jazz harp."

, The Times  

Alina Bzhezhinska is a well known and much loved artist among London audiences. She has performed here many times with her quintet HipHarpCollective, as well as in a duo with saxophonist Tony Kofi.

This time she returns with a new project featuring Menelik Claffey on bass and Joel Prime on drums and percussion. With the harp heavily extended through electronics and pre-recorded sounds, the trio will pay tribute to jazz visionaries Alice Coltrane, Dorothy Ashby and Pharoah Sanders, while also presenting Bzhezhinska's latest compositions from the albums Whispers of Rain and Women in Jazz Vol. 1.

Undoubtedly one of the leading harpists in the world today, Alina Bzhezhinska (a.k.a.AlinaHipHarp) is a one woman powerhouse on a mission to bring the harp to the forefront of contemporary sound. She has collaborated with internationally renowned artists including Brian Jackson, Chaka Khan, Shabaka Hutchings, DJ Spinna, Ganavya and Sly Johnson.

Bzhezhinska is the creator and leader of HipHarpCollective, winners of the Parliamentary Jazz Award for Best Ensemble of the Year 2024. The group's double LP Reflections (BBE Music) was named Album of the Year 2023 by Preston Music. Her quartet was previously nominated for Best Live Act of the Year at the Jazz FM Awards (2017). She has produced several critically acclaimed albums including Inspiration (Ubuntu Music, 2018), Reflections (BBE Music, 2022), and Altera Vita (BBE Music, 2024). Her duet album Altera Vita with Tony Kofi was described as "a masterpiece" by DownBeat Magazine.

Menelik Claffey is a young double bass player and composer. As a member of the Tomorrow's Warriors Quintet, he has performed at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, the Barbican and Southbank Centre. He recently graduated from Trinity Laban, where he studied jazz and in October 2024 was invited to perform at Downing Street as part of Black History Month celebrations.

Joel Prime is an Australian born drummer and percussionist who has become an important presence on the British jazz scene. Winner of Australia's Best Up & Coming Drummer award in 2011, his versatility across drum kit, congas and Afro-Cuban and Brazilian percussion has led him to perform with Mr Little's Noisy Band, Felix Riebl and The Copaseptic Foundation.

Doors/bar/dj 19:15

First Set 19:45