KOFI MAKOWSKI PROJECT – MUSICIANS’ BIOs TONY KOFI – SOPRANO, ALTO, BARITONE SAXOPHONE www.tonykofi.com www.myspace.com/tonykofi Winner, best instrumentalist of the year 2008 BBC Jazz awards 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 began when he chanced upon a series of jazz workshops, run in Leicester by Nick Hislam. Tony was bitten by the jazz bug and made a point of making the journey to go along to each session. This laid the seeds for what was to come, and a stint at the legendary 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, Ernie Watts 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 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 projects and 1 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 of 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, David Murray and the World Saxophone Quartet, US-3, Tim Richards’ Great Spirit, The Grand Union orchestra, Andrew Hill’s Anglo- American Big band, Sam Rivers Rivbea Orchestra, and Lucky Ranku’s African jazz all stars, as well as composing original music for his Ten piece group, the Afro Jazz family. ŁUKASZ MAKOWSKI – DOUBLE BASS, BASS GUITARS www.lukaszmakowski.com www.myspace.com/kofimakowskiproject Lukasz Makowski was born in Gdansk in 1976.10.12. He got his first bass guitar in the age of 13, and his love for the deep sounds soon embraced the double bass as well. In 1992 he entered Fryderyk Chopin Secondary Music School in Gdansk. Right after graduating from secondary music school in 1998, he entered the Stanisław Moniuszko Music Academy in Gdansk in the double bass class (5-years Master study), which he graduated in 2003. His talent and hard work was rewarded by scholarships both from his Music Academy and from the mayor of the city of Gdansk. Since august 2005 he resides in Bergen, Norway where he graduated additional 2- years Master study in the double bass class at Grieg Academy. He cooperated with famous Polish jazz musicians such as sax players Piotr Baron and Adam Wendt. Since 2000, he is a member of fusion/latin jazz trio - Flaming Group, together with vibraphone and keyboard player Jan Freicher and drummer Grzegorz Lewandowski. He cooperates with Norwegian jazz musicians such as: pianist Norvald Dahl, guitarist Ole Thomsen, sax player Olav Dale and guitarist and pianist Alf Wilhelm Lundberg. In April 2008, he went on successful tour in Norway and Poland with international jazz quartet Kofi/Makowski Project, together with great musicians from Great Britain and Norway: sax player Tony Kofi, guitarist Alf Wilhelm Lundberg and drummer/vocalist Winston Clifford. The quartet performed at international jazz festivals in Cz ęstochowa (Spring Jazz Festival) and Świdnica (Świdnickie Noce Jazzowe). He has as well a rich musical experience from classical performances as well. In addition to various projects, he gave solo performances with orchestras in Poland and Norway (Music Academy Orchestra in Gdansk, Bergen Unge Kammerorkester/the youth chamber orchestra of Bergen). He cooperated with theatres in Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot, as well as the Music Theatre in Gdynia. 2 ALF WILHELM LUNDBERG – GUITAR, PIANO www.norchestra.com www.myspace.com/alfwilhelmlundberg Guitarist, pianist and composer with a diploma from the Jazz-department of the conservatory at NTNU in Trondheim. After 4 years there with extra lessons in composing and arranging, he won the 1st prize as guitarist competing with over 280 talented musicians from all over the world during the during the Umbria Jazz Clinics in 2003.Has toured parts of Italy and France with the trio "All Strings Trio",and played at some of the greatest jazzfestivals in Norway, Italy and Poland such as Kongsberg Jazzfestival, Trondheim Jazzfestival, Sildajazz, Umbria Jazzfestival, Czestochowa, Swidnica & San Remo Jazzfestival. He also won several awards in Norway, amongst those Statoils Sildajazz Award and an Art Scholarship from the Municipality of Haugesund. He has received a lot of critical acclaim and praisings for his work as a classical guitarist, pianist and composer with the debut album "Norchestra" that was released early in 2008 WINSTON CLIFFORD – DRUMS, VOCAL Born September 1965. 1979 - Studied with ex-Tubby Hayes drummer Bill Eyden. 1985 studied drums with Trevor Tomkins at Guildhall School of Music. Has played with many musicians including Courtney Pine, Bheki Mseleku, Jason Rebello, Gary Husband, Pete King, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Iain Ballamy, Leroy Osbourne, Ronnie Scott Band, Julian Joseph, Andy Sheppard, Tony Remy, Steve Williamson Band, Jean Toussaint Band, Slim Gaillard, Bobby Watson, Monty Alexander, Gary Bartz, Art Farmer, Archie Shepp, Freddie Hubbard etc. Has appeared at many International Festivals & recorded albums with Frevo, Roadside Picnic, Jean Toussaint, Andy Hamilton, Brian Dee Trio, Harry Beckett Quintet & Jan Ponsford. Appeared on Channel 4, BBC 2 & ITV as well as radio broadcasts. 3 .