It seems as if the harp is making a remarkable rise in jazz. Not only the American Brandee Younger made an impression in recent years, but also Alina Bzhezhinska and her HipHarpCollective are having a notable upswing. The Ukraine-born but London-based harpist doesn’t disguise her influences: “HipHarp draws from a variety of influences from the likes of Dorothy Ahby’s ‘Afro-harping’, Alice Coltrane & Joe Henderson’s free form jazz experimentation as well as 90s trip hop and afrobeat.”

Collaborations have previously taken place with good folk like Pharoah Sanders, Gregory Porter, Kamaal Williams and Shabaka Hutchings. Lastly, we also ready somewhere, loud & clear: “Alina Bzhezhinska is one of the leading harpists in the world today, a one-woman powerhouse on a mission to bring the harp to the fore of contemporary sound.” Duly noted!