Alina bzhezhinska: inspiration (UBU0008)
“On Inspiration (the Alina Bzhezhinska Quartet) bathe deeply in the spirit of Alice and John’s majestic, meditative music, yet also use it as a point of departure for new personal directions. The journey is within, to a better place for humanity.” Kevin Le Gendre
Internationally renowned harpist Alina Bzhezhinska releases her new album Inspiration on Ubuntu Music this June. “I set myself on a mission to tell Alice and John Coltrane’s story in my own words, through my own interpretation of their music and my compositions,” explains Bzhezhinska. “The idea for my new album came to me at the beginning of 2017, the year when the world paid tribute to Alice Coltrane for her amazing contribution to music, celebrating her 80th birthday and paying respect to her memory.”
After studying Alice Coltrane’s music and digging deeper into the history of Jazz and her place in contemporary music, Bzhezhinska realised that Coltrane’s legacy could not be underestimated nor overlooked. “Coltrane is a true role model whose art was an example of endless potential and creative possibilities and whose life journey was dedicated to finding the meaning of human existence and universal consciousness,” says Bzhezhinska.
Bzhezhinska chose to work with musicians who share her fascination with Alice and John Coltrane and who opened a new world of possibilities to showcase the harp in a very unique way - award winning saxophonist Tony Kofi, double bassist and composer Larry Bartley and virtuoso drummer Joel Prime.
Inspiration features four original compositions including ‘Lemky’, a piece inspired by the traditional music of Lemky, the tribe from the Carpathian Mountains that was forced to leave its homeland never to return. The album also features fine interpretations of music by both Alice and John Coltrane. ‘Journey in Satchidananda’ by Alice Coltrane is one of the most important pieces on my album,” says Bzhezhinska. “I discovered this music a long time ago and it took me on my own personal journey that I’m still experiencing and would encourage everyone to explore its beauty and depth. John Coltrane’s ‘After The Rain’ strikes me by its beauty and I think it works wonderfully with the sound of the rain and a storm that can be imitated on the harp so naturally.”
“With my instrument I don’t try to fit into any kind of styles or trends in jazz. I try to be truthful and remember what Alice Coltrane said - “In music, I don’t think I have real preferences about the form… when you express your heart, it has to come from you,”” concludes Bzhezhinska.
