At the tail end of 2018, tuba player and composer Theon Cross, a big player in London’s vibrant contemporary jazz scene, teased his debut album with ‘Panda Village‘. News of the album have now been confirmed and we’ll only have to wait till February 15th for Fyah to be out through Gearbox Records. The album “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”, describes the press release. “The new album perfectly exemplifies the future-facing 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 all at once danceable and masterful.”

And there’s more reasons to get excited, with ‘Activate’, the explosive new track Cross has just unveiled, featuring fellow adventurous jazz musicians, saxophonist Nubya Garcia and drummer Moses Boyd. Take a listen now.

Photo: Andy Earl

Coming out of the vibrant London jazz scene that flourished in recent years, tuba player and composer Theon Cross has lent his talents to a multitude of stellar artists. Busy performing with the likes of Moses Boyd, Makaya McCraven, Kano, Jon Baptiste, Pharoe Monch and Emile Sande, Cross is also a member of Sons of Kemet and a permanent fixture in South London based collective Steam Down. He has also been busy with his own trio featuring Nubya Garcia and Moses Boyd, and ‘Panda Village’ is one of the fruits we can now get a taste of. There’s plans for more to come in 2019 and if ‘Panda Village’ is anything to go by, we just can’t wait!