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 (celebrating its 50th anniversary this year) 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 Kennedy and Orphy Robinson to Shabaka Hutchings and Moses Boyd.

“Tori is an essential music force that needs to be experienced by as many thin king musicians and audiences as possible. She is without doubt steadily becoming one of the most exciting and original musicians on the UK scene” – Orphy Robinson, Blue Note

“Keep an eye out for harpist Tori Handsley” – Paul Pace, Ronnie Scotts, Spice of Life​