The Jazz Africa Experience

Jazz Africa is the latest project by the fine pianist and composer Basil Hodge. The band features the key figure of Tony Kofi on saxophones. The music is Jazz fused with Afrobeat, Township and Funk rhythms. The audience is invited to join in to create some percussion rhythms as part of the Jazz Africa experience.

Basil Hodge's interest in music and the piano started at junior school. His quest to become a jazz musician started in earnest when he undertook classical piano lessons from a local teacher for a few years. He then went on to have private lessons with jazz pianist/composer Tim Richards from 1986 – 89. He rounded off his training at Goldsmiths College London in 1991. Basil has been leading his bands (trio, quartet and quintet) since 1995 and has performed in such venues as Ronnie Scott’s, Pizza Express (Soho), Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth and National Theatre Foyers, the Swanage and Ealing Jazz Festivals, The Vortex Jazz Club, The Crypt, The Hideaway, Boxford Fleece, Watermills Jazz, The Bonington Theatre and The Verdict Jazz Club. He has played in various R&B and Gospel bands in the UK and abroad (Germany and Switzerland). Basil has released three albums to critical acclaim, all backed by Proper Records. His latest record 'A Point of Reference' confirmed his status as "a very fine composer" In 2022, Basil took part in filming for The Crown Series 6 (Netflix) and Steve McQueen’s film ‘Blitz’. Basil was the pianist in both sessions as part of a 1930’s/40’s Big Band. At the beginning of 2025 appeared in a couple of scenes for Netflix’s Bridgerton as a solo pianist and as part of a quartet of musicians.

Tony Kofi is a British Jazz multi-instrumentalist born of Ghanaian parents, a player of the Alto, Baritone, Soprano, Tenor saxophones and flute. Having 'cut his teeth' in the “Jazz Warriors” of the early 90’s, award-winning saxophonist Tony Kofi has gone on to establish himself as a musician, teacher and composer of some authority. As well as performing and recording with Gary Crosby's “NuTroop” and “Jazz Jamaica”, Tony’s playing has also been a feature of many bands and artists he has worked/recorded with include “US-3” The World Saxophone Quartet, Courtney Pine, Donald Byrd, Eddie Henderson, The David Murray Big Band, Sam Rivers Big band, Andrew Hill Big Band, Abdullah Ibrahim, Macy Gray, Julian Joseph Big band, Harry Connick JR, Byron Wallen's Indigo, Jamaaladeen Tacuma's Coltrane Configurations and Ornette Coleman. His fluent and fiery hard-bop style makes him constantly in demand. He currently leads his own Tony Kofi Quartet, Tony Kofi Sphinx Trio, Future Passed Trio and is also the co-founder with Jonathan Gee of the Monk Liberation Front, a group that is dedicated to the music of Thelonious Monk. Tony’s latest project sees him performing with Alex Webb’s Café Society Swing, Arnie Somogyi’s Jump
Monk, Larry Bartley’s JustUS Quartet, Adrian Reid Quartet, a double leaders project with Alan Barnes called Aggregation, Orphy Robinson’s Bobby Hutcherson songbook project, Alina Bzhezhinska Quartet, Jo Harrop’s Fever, Portrait of Cannonball (Music dedicated to Cannonball Adderley) Tony Kofi and the Organisation, a recent project which he co leads on the Baritone Saxophone.

Special Guest
Cheikh Diop is a multi-skilled artist from Senegal in West-Africa who specialises in African drumming along with dance and storytelling. Cheikh embraced performing from a very young age as a primary school drama club student. As in many African traditions, music is at the heart of cultural and social activities in Senegal, and this fully impacted on Cheikh's decision to turn professional after leaving school. Cheikh travelled across many regions of the Senegalese west-coast in pursuit of his passion for drumming in traditional ballet groups and cultural centres. Since moving to the UK almost 20 years ago, Cheikh has been sharing his love for African music, dance and traditions through his highly acclaimed shows and workshops in schools, events and venues across the country.