Tony Kofi & The Organisation - Point Blank (2018)

The origins of The Organisation go back over a decade and grew from Simon Fernsby's memorable Manhattan Project sessions, which were a staple of jazz in south London throughout the 2000s. Drummer Pete Cater was an early recruit having been a jazz tutor on Fernsby's music college course. The band went through several incarnations but came into its own with the addition of organist Pete Whittaker and honed its no-nonsense, hard-hitting style as a house rhythm section for multiple venues and festivals.

The quartet on these recordings first emerged in 2010 when Tony Kofi, fresh from recording with Ornette Coleman in New York, serendipitously joined them as a last-minute dep. His playing of both alto and baritone on the date created an instant affinity between the four of them. The Organisation's combination of the bluesy, soul-jazz side of the Hammond canon, and their knowledge of the more modern post-bop side of the repertoire (as typified by Woody Shaw's "Moontrane"), worked perfectly with Tony's approach. To the credit of them all, they have played a long game, developing their craft and style on the UK jazz circuit ensuring that the quartet regularly features in their schedule.

Recorded by Paul Riley, the sounds you will hear on POINT BLANK are those of a band who have put the hours in and held an ace in their collective hand until the moment to enshrine it was just right in one magical session at Specific Sound in 2017.