Hadley hockensmith biography

Koinonia was a Christian band birthed from the fusion in jazz music, which occurred in the 1970s and 1980s, contributing to a new, more electrified and diverse genre called jazz-funk.

Though less known in the United States, Koinonia established themselves as a huge sensation in Scandinavia and Western Europe, performing to sell-out crowds from 1982 to 1991 in Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Switzerland and France.^[1][2] Their Latin-infused rhythms and upbeat melodies gave them a distinct and cultured sound.

Taken from a Greek word used in the Bible to mean “intimate fellowship”, Koinonia was notably one of the first Christian, though primarily instrumental, jazz bands.

Original members

The original founding members of the band in 1980 were: bassist Abraham Laboriel, Weather Report veteran Alex Acuña on drums and percussion, wind player John Phillips, noted session-guitarist Dean Parks, and three member