1) A Christian jazz band.
… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists with this name:
1) A Christian jazz band.
2) A 60s/early 70s Christian psychedelic band.
1)
Koinonia was a fusion jazz band that produced four albums between 1982 and 1990. The band's name comes from the Greek word koinonia (κοινωνία), which means community through sharing.
band history
The band was formed in 1980 by Abraham Laboriel, a classically trained electric bass guitarist, and drummer Bill Maxwell with Dean Parks (guitar), Alex Acuña (percussion and drums), John Phillips (woodwinds), Hadley Hockensmith (guitar), and Harlan Rogers (keyboards). The band emerged from the instrumental group Sonlight, which had performed as the backing band for Andraé Crouch under the name "The Disciples" and had released their own album in 1972.
Koinonia made their debut at the Baked Potato in Los Angeles in 1980. The debut album was released in 1982 under the title More Than a Feelin'. The band then performed in Scandinavia, where their live album Celebration was recorded.
In 1981, John Phillips left the band and was replaced by saxophone and flute virtuoso Justo Almario. Dean Parks also left the band because the band played live a lot and in different countries and he didn't like to travel. In 1986 the album Frontline was released. Chester Thompson joined as a replacement for Alex Acuña during the 1987 European tour, but did not become an official band member. Finally, in 1988, Lou Pardini joined the band (keyboards and vocals). With him came the last self-titled studio album. Koinonia disbanded in 1991. After the split, Alex Acuña and Justo Almario formed the Latin group Tulu.
Music genre
The band members were all successful studio musicians who had a very good reputation in the music scene and worked with many well-known artists (e.g. Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, Chaka Khan etc.).
The first two albums contained almost exclusively instrumental tracks. In the two later ones, singing was also integrated. Stylistically, Koinonia integrated elements of jazz funk, a jazz subgenre with powerful back beats, groove and rhythm guitar. Other notable artists of a similar vein during this period included The Crusaders, Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, Alphonse Mouzon, Chick Corea, Lee Ritenour, Azymuth, Eumir Deodato, Jeff Lorber, and Seawind.
discography
albums
1982: More than a Feelin' (Breaker Record)
1984: Celebration (live album, Breaker Records)
1986: Frontline (Sparrow Records)
1989: Koinonia (Royal Music)
compilations
1989: Compact Favorites (Sparrow Records)
1992: Pilgrim's Progression - Best of Koinonia (Maxus Records)
2010: All the Best (4 CD and 2 DVD compilation, MEP Records)
The band consisted of several Los Angeles based R&B session musicians:
Alex Acuña (formerly of Weather Report) (percussion)
Abraham Laboriel (bass)
Justo Almario (sax, flute, and wind controller)
John Phillips (woodwinds)
Lou Pardini (keyboards and vocals)
Hadley Hockensmith (guitar)
Dean Parks (guitar)
Harlan Rogers (keyboards)
Bill Maxwell (drums)
Is it Too Late
Koinonia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't listen to my heart
So sure of what I needed
But now that we're apart
Don't know why I fought so hard for my freedom
Now I know I was wrong
Suddenly I realize with you is where I belong
Girl, did I wait too long?
Don't wanna make
The same mistake I made so many times before
Is it too late?
(Too late)
Searching for words to tell you
Trying to show that I still care
So many things have changed
There's still so much we can share
Can we find some other way?
I'm not ready to say goodbye
(Goodbye)
Another chance, another day
You know I will end up trying
Is it too late?
Girl, did I wait too long?
(Can we give it one more try?)
Don't wanna make
The same mistake I made so many times before
Is it too late?
Is there a reason to keep on believing?
Or just that we'll be alright?
(Just tell me)
Just tell me how you feel
'Cause I want you tonight
Is it too late?
Girl, did I wait too long?
(Too long)
Can we give it one more try?
Don't wanna make
The same (the same) mistake
I made so many times
Is it too late?
(Is it too late?)
Girl, what will it take to change your mind?
(Can we give it one more try?)
Should I keep on believing?
How can I erase?
(The same mistake)
I made so many times
(Is it too late?)
Is it too late?
Girl, did I wait too long?
I'm not ready
(Don't wanna make)
I'm not ready to say goodbye
Is it too late?
Too late
Too late
The song "Is it too late" by Koinonia has a theme of regret and longing for a lost love. The singer reflects on their past mistakes and admits that they were wrong in seeking their freedom instead of staying with their lover. The lyrics suggest that the singer wants to reconcile with their former lover, but they fear that they may have waited too long and the chance for reconciliation may have passed.
In the beginning of the song, the singer admits that they thought they had all the answers and did not listen to their heart. They were confident in their decision to leave their lover and seek their own freedom. However, now that they are apart, the singer realizes that they were wrong and they belong with their lover.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the singer's fear of it being too late to reconcile with their lover. The repetition of the question "Is it too late?" highlights the singer's uncertainty and fear of rejection. They do not want to make the same mistake again and lose their lover forever.
The second verse of the song shows the singer's desperation to reconnect with their lover. They search for words to show that they still care and believe that they can find some other way to make it work. They do not want to say goodbye and want another chance to try again.
Overall, "Is it too late" conveys a heartfelt message about the pain of losing love and the yearning to make things right again. The song's emotions are captured by the music's slow pace and melancholic rhythm.
Line by Line Meaning
Thought I had all the answers
I was once so confident in my knowledge and decisions
I didn't listen to my heart
But I ignored what my inner feelings were telling me
So sure of what I needed
Convinced that I knew what was best for me
But now that we're apart
Now that we're no longer together
Don't know why I fought so hard for my freedom
I'm not sure why I put so much effort into fighting for my independence
Now I know I was wrong
I realize now that I made a mistake
Suddenly I realize with you is where I belong
And I've come to a sudden realization that I belong with you
Is it too late?
Wondering if it's too late to reconcile our relationship
Girl, did I wait too long?
Whether I waited too long to make things right
Don't wanna make
I don't want to repeat
The same mistake I made so many times before
The mistake that I've made several times already
Searching for words to tell you
Trying to find the right words to express myself to you
Trying to show that I still care
To prove that I still have feelings for you
So many things have changed
A lot has changed since we were last together
There's still so much we can share
But there's still plenty of things we can experience together
Can we find some other way?
Wondering if there's another solution to our problems
I'm not ready to say goodbye
I'm not ready to say farewell
(Goodbye)
Another chance, another day
Asking for another chance, another opportunity to make things right
You know I will end up trying
I promise to put in the effort to make our relationship work
Is there a reason to keep on believing?
I'm wondering if there's a reason to hold on and have faith in our relationship
Or just that we'll be alright?
Or if everything will be just fine in the end
(Just tell me)
Just tell me how you feel
Asking for your honest thoughts and feelings
'Cause I want you tonight
Because I want you with me tonight
Girl, what will it take to change your mind?
Asking what I can do to change your way of thinking
Should I keep on believing?
Asking if I should continue to have faith in us
How can I erase?
How can I forget and move past
(The same mistake)
I made so many times
The mistake that I've made several times in our relationship
I'm not ready
I'm not ready yet
Too late
But maybe it's too late to make things right
Writer(s): lou pardini
Contributed by Scarlett L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Diana Allen Johnson
Forgot to mention Lou Pardini signed on in late 80s.
Diana Allen Johnson
Sonligjht was picked up by Andre Crouch shortly after and collaborated for several years. Personnel: Bill Maxwell, drummer and producer, (Amen, Color Purple, 20 feet from Stardom to mention a few credits. Harlan Rogers, Hammond B3, vocals, Maranatha Music Producer, writer, musician, singer. Hadley Hockensmith, guitar, writer, vocals, Neil Diamond guitarist for over 20 years. Fletch Wiley, horns and arrangements, composer, , producer. This was the basis of Koinonia before they teamed up with Abe, Justo and Alex Acuna (percussions).
Diana Allen Johnson
Koinonia was a melding of these studio musicians mentioned with a Christian band from Oklahoma, Sonligjt who were Andre. Crouch’s backup band for quite a few years. They were together from the mid 60s as “The Jades”, then Third Avenue Blues Band. They broke up and separately, became Christians. In the 70s, became “Sonligjt”.