26-year-old tuba player Theon Cross is one of the new faces on the vibrant London jazz scene. Cross is a member of the groundbreaking collective Sons of Kemet, alongside Shabaka Hutchings, a band that had their ultimate breakthrough with their third album Queen Of Reptile in 2018. Besides performing with Sons of Kemet, Cross is also active with a number of other bands. From these collaborations he compiled his own group, that he named after his widely acclaimed debut album Fyah. With Zara McFarlane’s fantastic rhythmic support, Moses Boyd on drums and rising star Nubya Garcia on saxophone, Cross has a dream trio. A threesome with a drive, in which Cross’s deep, pulsing tuba playing harmonizes perfectly with the melodious, elastic playing of Garcia. Add to that Boyd’s mega phat grooves and you have an explosive explosion of music that allows the formation to blow away audiences at clubs and festivals. Yet Cross is always surprising in the exact lineup he brings to his shows.
