This resurgence of jazz we are now experiencing is global with London as one of the brightest spots. Tuba player and composer Theon Cross has been dominating airwaves and stages recently. He’s part of a thriving group of young London-based musicians who have regularly supported one another in stretching the boundaries of jazz. On this effort as bandleader Cross leads a small ensemble as he practically reinvents the role of bass and rhythm with his tuba on Fyah. Cross brings the instrument to the forefront, where you’d expect electronic basslines, while also making it a principle point of focus by merging the instrument’s traditional use with his own modern sensibilities.
Having made a name for himself both as a member of the award-winning quartet Sons of Kemet, as well as his own powerful and eclectic solo material, the last few years have seen Cross appear on a highly acclaimed releases including We Out Here compilation via Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings, as well as on the recent Where We Come From mixtape on Chicago label International Anthem. He has also performed with Kano), Moses Boyd, Makaya McCraven, Jon Batiste, Pharoahe Monch, Courtney Pine and is a permanent fixture in South London-based collective Steam Down. This is his debut as a bandleader.
Here Cross works with other strong emerging London voices on the current London scene in tenor saxophonist Nubya Garcia and drummer Moses Boyd. This trio plays on all but two tracks. Garcia sits out on two of them where Wayne Francis (Ahnansé) plays tenor on “Candace of Meroe” and “CIYA.” Those two tracks also feature Artie Zaitz on electric guitar. Tim Doyle adds percussion to the former and Nathaniel Cross plays trombone on “CIYA.”
Fyah encapsulates the culture and influences that have surrounded Cross growing up in the city, incorporating elements of Caribbean music, hip-hop, grime, jazz, club and electronic music. From the groove-heavy, carnivalesque bass section in ‘Activate’, to the borderless ‘LDN’s Burning’, right through to the grime inspired staccato and rewind section of ‘Panda Village’, the new album perfectly exemplifies the magnetism of the current scene in London. Full of powerful tuba-driven basslines, fervent jazz soloing, raw yet precise rhythm sections and the introduction of synths, the album is both danceable and listenable. It’s unlike almost anything you’ve heard. In fact, the brass bands of New Orleans are likely the closest by comparison, or some of Arthur Blythe’s early work that featured tuba, but Cross has entirely different grooves and rhythms.
This impressive debut record captures the sound of some of London’s most prominent trailblazers at the top of their game. If this is your introduction to London’s current jazz sound, then it’s a good one.
