#New Music Friday is our showcase of a new recording from the current week…this week we feature Theon Cross’ Fyah
“Funky Tuba” is not a phrase you hear too often. The Tuba is usually not a featured instrument outside of Brass Bands in New Orleans, but Theon Cross, an anchor of the burgeoning London modern jazz scene is bringing it front and center on his new album, “Fyah”. Cross, in his debut as a bandleader, has combined with two other stars of London jazz, Nubya Garcia on saxophone, and Moses Boyd on drums, to create a recording heavily influenced by Afro-Beat, Hip-Hop, and Caribbean Rhythm, and it is truly a good time. If you are a fan of Sons of Kemet, another band Cross is a part of, you should love this. Check it out!
From the Fyah Bandcamp site:
As one of the key players of the London jazz scene, Theon Cross has been dominating airwaves and stages recently. He’s part of a thriving family network of young London-based musicians who have regularly supported one another in stretching and re-shaping the boundaries of the jazz genre.
Additional side-projects include performing and recording with individuals such as Makaya Mcraven, Sons of Kemet, and featuring on Gilles Peterson’s compilation album We Out Here. Within all this noise, Cross has also been leading his own trio project with Nubya Garcia and Moses Boyd. The band released an EP back in 2015 and are now following up with a full studio album, ‘Fyah’.
Cross makes the tuba his own, mixing together early New Orleans bass line influences as well as the synth soundscapes and rhythms from modern grime and trap. His innovative style brings a new dynamic to the scene as he paves the gap between more traditional jazz styles and dance music.
I’m an audio writer who started as a young audio salesman/consumer electronics professional back in the late 90s. That’s where I discovered the magic of 2-Channel sound. My thirst for great sound has led me on a delightful music quest that continues today.
Leave a Reply