Tony Kofi "Plays Monk"
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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. 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. For this 606 performance Tony will be leading his tribute to pianist and composer Thelonious Monk with his quartet, formed in 2001 by Tony and pianist Jonathan Gee. This quartet morphed into the Monk Liberation Front, performing all of Monk’s 70 compositions at the London Jazz Festival in 2007 to great acclaim. Along with Ben Hazleton-bass and Rod Youngs-drums, Tony & Jonathan will highlight a choice selection from that repertoire for their show this evening. With an innovative approach to harmony characterised by dissonances and angular melodic twists, consistent with his unorthodox approach to the piano, Monk is one of jazz music’s greatest innovators.
“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