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Artist Biography |
BBC JAZZ AWARDS 2008 - Best Instrumentalist
Winner, best Ensemble at the 2005 Parliamentary Jazz Awards.
Winner, Radio 3 Jazz line up album of the year 2005 BBC Jazz awards
Born in Nottingham to West African parents, the playing career of saxophonist Tony Kofi started when he chanced upon a series of jazz workshops, run in Leicester by Nick Hislam. He also took lessons from local saxophonist and jazz mentor George Carmichael, was bitten by the jazz bug and made a point of making the journey to go along to each session. This planted the seeds for what was to come, and led to a stint at the Berklee College of Music in Boston Mass. USA, on a full scholarship.
While in the US, Tony studied with such musical luminaries as Andy Magee and Billy Pearce, gaining invaluable experience that he then put to best use when he returned to the UK. From 1991, Tony was part of the UK’s leading jazz group of the time – The Jazz Warriors. This band was - and, indeed, is, in its current form of Tomorrow’s Warriors - a hotbed of young talent from the UK jazz scene. Tony was also a vital part of Gary Crosby’s Nu Troop; this was a big stepping stone for his solo and ensemble work, contributing massively to his own solo and educational projects. Tony is still committed to this ethos, regularly running his own workshops and giving individual lessons.
Throughout the nineties Tony was busy, appearing in the front line for innumerable high-profile musicians and groups, including Billy Higgins, Byron Wallen’s Indigo, Claude Deppa’s A.J.E. & Horns Unlimited, Cheikh Tidiane Fall Quintet, Clifford Jarvis, Courtney Pine, Digable Planets, Donald Byrd, Dr Lonnie Smith, Eddie Henderson, Gary Crosby’s Nu-Troop, Julian Joseph Big Band, Jazz Jamaica All Stars, The David Murray Big Band,US-3, Tim Richards’ Great Spirit, The Grand Union Orchestra, and Lucky Ranku’s African Jazz All Stars, as well as composing original music for his ten piece group, The Afro Jazz Family.
Since 2000, The Tony Kofi Quartet has dedicated itself to bringing the music and genius of the 20th century jazz composer,Thelonious Sphere Monk to a wider audience. They have been performing his complete works to new audiences in celebration of his unique improvisational spirit and formidable creative output. The quartet which comprises Tony Kofi, Jonathan Gee, Ben Hazleton and Winston Clifford, have been building their repertoire of Monk's compositions. All 70 of these were performed in a groundbreaking, marathon six-hour concert at the 2003 London Jazz Festival and again in 2007.The Quartet's 2004 album, All Is Know (Specific Jazz SPEC001), features a selection of Monk originals with additional string arrangements by composer Philip Clark.
Between 2003-2004 Tony was an integral part of the late Andrew Hill’s Anglo-American Big band and Sam Rivers Rivbea Orchestra.
The Tony Kofi Trio +1 features Byron Wallen,(Trumpet), Anders Olinder (B3 Hammond Organ) and Winston Clifford,(Drums) performing the award-winning saxophonist’s original compositions. The group also augments into a six piece as heard on their 2006 album titled Future Passed (Specific Jazz SPEC004), featuring Robert Fordjour (Drums) Cameron Pierre (Guitar) and Donald Gamble (Percussion). The 2006 release, is a true music lovers album in which you get to hear the blues, gospel, jazz, funk, Latin, African, be-bop and beyond.
More recently Tony has been working with the Harry Connick JR big band performing on the Michael Parkinson show, The Paul O'Grady show and a live BBC Jazz Line up recording. Tony also played on the Parkinson show with music legend Joe Cocker.
In 2006 Tony got a call from David Murray asking him to join the historic avant-garde jazz group, The World Saxophone Quartet which formed in 1977. This was a milestone in British jazz, as Tony became the first UK born musician to join the all American group since the passing of the late saxophonist Julius Hemphill.
The Tony Kofi Quartet revisited the Thelonious Monk song book and performed all 70 of his works at the 2007 London Jazz Festival and received a standing ovation for their six hour performance. In January 2008 they were back in the Specific Sound studio to record - The Silent Truth (SPEC008) which is scheduled for release on 31st March 2008 on Specific Jazz, and features all original compositions.
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Tony Kofi has picked up the award for the 'Best Instrumentalist' at the prestigious BBC Jazz Awards 2008.