Review: Alina Bzhezhinska and Tony Kofi - Altera Vita (BBE Music)

Alina Bzhezhinska (Harpist) "Thanks! You got us, totally." 

So was the feedback from Alina herself to the YATM review for the single, 'Anima' 

(see review HERE) so what can we possibly say of the album, 'Altera Vita'?

Well I'm pleased to say it's more of the same but with an intensified sense of emotion that comes from the depth of the six tracks. 

Coming at the same time as the Alice Coltrane "never before released album", 'The Carnegie Hall Concert' that featured John's band (with Pharoah Sanders) in 1971, this is like a primer for spiritual jazz as a sax/harp duo that has been said to be a homage to Sanders [& Alice]. 

And that really doesn't do them justice for tracks, like 'Tu Vides - You See' as they can do their own astral traveling to a higher creator's master plan.  And, in truth, all tracks are as deep as Carlos Nino's teamwork with Surya Botofasina (see review HERE) as this harp/sax duo are aided with the pecussion of Muriel Grossman that adds that provides the journey in Satchidananda atmosphere.

Sanders' once said, “I Just Have To Make Sure I Mean Every Note…” and that comes through every second of 'Altera Vita' and is a worthy follow-up to their highly aclaimed previous incarnation of Alina Bzhezhinska & HipHarpCollective.

This incredibly beautiful album is a tribute to all that have gone before us and a brilliant way to mark Tony's 60th year on the planet! All jazz fans need this, it's the essence... now breathe!

P.S. Did I ever tell you the story how I was involved in making Mr. Sanders late for his gig at the Big Chill; another time.

Artist: Alina Bzhezhinska & Tony Kofi 

Title: Altera Vita 

Release date: 5th April, 2024

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : BBE779

Format: Vinyl LP / CD / Digital Bandcamp  

Reveiw: Alina Bzhezhinska & Tony Kofi - Anima (BBE Music)

It's unusual for BBE to release a stand-alone digital single, but you'll soon see why on the first listen to 'Anima' they have this time.

Lots of hip-hoppy jazz spiritual harp ambience going on at the moment, but Alina Bzhezhinska with Tony Kofi on sax must be close to the ultimate with this single.

We know Alina from her album 'Reflections' and the remix of 'Fire' (see review HERE) whilst Tony made his name with the UK jazz explosion that saw him as a main stay playing with the Jazz Warriors and moving on to the equally influencial Gary Crosby's Nu Tropp.

There's six track album by the pair called 'Altera Vita' is coming out soon and in the meantime, lets breath with this: guaranteed it'll get pick up for cinematic/TV use and QiGung/Tai Chi approved jazz.

Artist: Alina Bzhezhinska & Tony Kofi 

Title: Anima

Release date: 9th February, 2024

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : BBE779SDG

Format: Digital  

Review: Joseph Malik - Proxima Ebony (Ramrock Red Records)

The eagerly anticipated album 'Proxima Ebony' by Joseph Malik (out now on Ramrock Red) is finally here and it's everybit as good as what Craig Charles, Gilles Peterson and Blues & Soul's 10/10 review rating have been telling us it is.

It's as soulful as Mr Malik is with hip-hop notes (from Capitol A and Kameelah Waheed - taking a break from Colour & Pitch - see review HERE), acid (Digital Liquid), spiritual (Alina Bzhezhinska - see review HERE) ,Latin/folk (Chris Franck) and it's super funky too!

Eleven tracks in total and some of which we're already totally obsessed with like 'Adjust Like Dat' (which Mr. Charles loves), 'Trouble With A Capital T (as previously reviewed as a single HERE and the remix HERE) and the one about the sex worker industry 'Only Fans' - brilliant acid trip that conjures images of the Acid Queen herself, Tina Turner.

And see if you can work out which one is "Joseph's vision of 'Psycho Killer' meets CBGB's with Otti Albietz on guitar (from Suddenly WOW!) and Daniel Walls on drums....and me [Jo Wallace] on BVs".

Mr Malik has been very clever in balancing the entire album with these great musicians and it really does feel very balanced from start to finish.

I can't stress enought that it's all so good, you don't want it to stop listening to it. In fact, it's so good, we've just got to repeat Blues & Soul's 10/10 rating - it really is that good [Ed. we get the idea].

Not only that 8th September, 7:30p,m in the The Ballroom, The Voodoo Rooms is where Mr Malik's new album, 'Proxima Ebony'  is going to have a launch party (check the details HERE) along with the magnificent Jo Wallace (Ramrock in all its forms), Shuya 'Shuya San' Okino (Kyoto Jazz Massive and WeOutHere) plus Natasha Kitty Kat and no doubt members Ramrock's Scottish contingent of The Jennifer Ewan Band (see review HERE and HERE) will show up to have a great time. 

I can't imagine the buzz when he walks out on stage to 'Introduction' - it's going to be fantastic!

Artist: Joseph Malik 

Title: Proxima Ebony

Release date: 8th September, 2023

Label: Ramrock Red

Cat. No: RRRLP010

Format: Bandcamp / Digital

Reveiw: Alina Bzhezhinska & HipHarpCollective - Fire (We Are The Horsemen Remix) (BBE Music)

If you were slightly perplexed by Alina's social media post this week, be perplexed no more as her fantastic cover version of 'Fire' (Alice Coltrane & Joe Henderson) gets a remix by DJ Harv (aka Harvinder Singh) and Sub One as 'We Are The Horsemen'.

It's going to be the jazzdance track of the year as it's got all things Dingwalls 'cosmic' about it as along with Alina on Harp, it features UK Jazzers of note Tony Kofi (sax) and Jay Phelps (Trumpet).

Taken from her second album 'Reflections' from last year, the whole was inspired by the jazz harpist elite of Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby with the spiritual wisdom of John Coltrane and the karma of the rescently departed Pharoah Sanders [RIP], the addition of the HipHarpCollective  provides for an album just as deep and varied that's more accessible too with a couple of well known jazz covers.

'Fire', 'Soul Vibrations' and a storming version of 'Afro Blue' counter the deepness of 'Alabama' and beauty of Ellington’s 'African Flower' form the rock of this album as this is very much a 'collective' band production. The strings are so atmospheric throughout and tracks like the funk/fusion influences on 'Sans End', 'Action Line' and there's two versions of 'Paris Sur le Toit'; an instrumental and vocal/rap Lady Sanity and Tom TheyThem that are beats perfect hip hop.

What with Amanda Whiting (Wales) and Alina (Ukraine-born, Warsaw Conservatoire-trained, London-based) both releasing jazz harp lead albums, this seems like a golden period for the instrument and the ladies in the footsteps of Dorothy and Alice; a land of make believe you might say - something to meditate about. 

Artist: Alina Bzhezhinska

Title: Fire (We Are The Horsemen Remix) 

Release date: 31st March, 2023

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : 

BBE716SDG3 / CD / Digital / Bandcamp