Theon Cross Intra-I

nnovative tuba player and composer, Theon Cross is a man at the centre of London’s thriving jazz scene. Throughout his solo, Cross is back with his brilliantly immediate sophomore album, The record takes a wide lens delve into Black music history through the prism of Cross’ unique and distinctive tuba excursions. Diving deep into his own heritage, the Londoner cross-pollinates jazz with hip-hop, dub, grime, soca, soul, pop and afrobeat. That sense of free expression is garnered through Cross’ ever-improvisational tuba playing, lighting the fire from within and fanning it throughout ten mesmerising tracks. A true celebration of Black music and culture, ’s pan-African spirit features songs that explore self-development, the importance of heritage and the strength in adversity shown by post-war Caribbean immigrants to the UK. A truly absorbing record, is the perfect snapshot of the spirit that makes the London jazz scene, of which Theon Cross is a major player, so exciting and unpredictable.