ALINA BZHEZINSKA
HARPIST
'ALTERA VITA' ALBUM
OUT ON BBE
'a powerful, moving, take-your-breath-away masterpiece'
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***** - Downbeat Magazine
'Altera Vita' is the first studio album by World renowned multi-award winning artists Tony Kofi and Alina Bzhezhinska as a duo. The album is saxophone and harp in perfect harmony with Tony and Alina also providing the bulk of the percussion to accompany their recordings. Tony Kofi is widely recognized as one of the leading Jazz saxophonists in the UK and regularly lends his skills to legendary group Cymande for their live performances. Alina has been heralded as the "New Sound of Europe" and the duo’s innovative and refreshing approach to recording is apparent on this album. The namesake and inspiration for this album; ‘Altera Vita’ (2023) was named in Downbeat’s jazz albums of 2023, which is very rare for a single release.
WINNER OF THE PARLIAMENTARY JAZZ AWARD 2024
'BEST JAZZ ENSEMBLE OF THE YEAR'
Alina Bzhezhinska makes history as the first harpist to be awarded the prestigious Parliamentary Jazz Award for Best Jazz Ensemble of the Year for her band HipHarpCollective.
Described by the Evening Standard as a “modern-day supremo,” Bzhezhinska brings a fresh, dynamic vision to the harp, honoring jazz icons Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby while blending in elements of Acid Jazz and trip-hop.
The band’s acclaimed 2022 album, Inspiration, released by BBE Music, captures this unique synergy, merging electronic effects and improvisational flair to revive the harp’s role in contemporary jazz.
Bzhezhinska performs alongside her core band—Menelik Claffey on bass, Matt Holmes on drums and Joel Prime on percussion—and frequently collaborates with celebrated jazz artists, including Tony Kofi, Denys Baptiste, Jay Phelps, and Brian Jackson.
For live music that will “hypnotise and heal” (Jazzwise), look no further than Alina Bzhezhinska’s HipHarpCollective.