Tori Handsley

The sound of the harp has always held a special place in the world of jazz, and that’s down to the work of two artists alone; Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane.

Despite both using the same instrument, their music could have hardly been more different. Ashby’s sound ranged from the trad to the plaintive, with standout albums Hip Harp, Afro Harping and Django/ Misty across her oeuvre showcasing the harp’s versatility. By contrast, the harp for Coltrane worked as an extension of her profound spirituality, whilst also indulging her avant-garde tendencies as heard on her magnum opus, Journey in Satchidananda.

Putting together the bespoke show will be London based harpist Tori Handsley, who has played with everyone from Nigel Kenney and Orphy Robinson to Shabaka Hutchings and Moses Boyd.