{"title":"Theon Cross","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"165\" data-end=\"699\"\u003eTheon Cross is a London-based tuba player and composer at the heart of the UK’s modern jazz renaissance. Known for his powerful sound and inventive use of the tuba as a lead instrument, he has redefined its role in contemporary music. As a solo artist and member of Sons of Kemet, Cross blends jazz with Caribbean influences, hip hop and grime, creating music that is both rooted and forward-looking. Explore our curated selection of Theon Cross vinyl — essential releases that showcase one of today’s most exciting jazz innovators.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"theon-cross-affirmations-live-at-blue-note-new-york","title":"Theon Cross - Affirmations: Live At Blue Note New York (2LP Vinyl)","description":"\u003cp class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"\u003eTuba virtuoso Theon Cross brings his groundbreaking \u003cem\u003eAffirmations\u003c\/em\u003e project to life in this electrifying double album recorded at the legendary Blue Note in New York. Captured on 3 July 2023 and released in 2025, this live recording showcases Cross at the peak of his powers, leading a formidable quartet through music that redefines what's possible with the tuba in contemporary jazz.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"\u003eCross has long been celebrated for his work with Sons of Kemet and as a key figure in London's jazz renaissance, but Affirmations represents something more personal and spiritually resonant. The addition of Chicago saxophonist and percussionist Isaiah Collier brings a powerful energy to the proceedings, his tenor playing in dynamic conversation with Cross' bass-heavy tuba lines. Guitarist and bassist Nikos Ziarkas provides harmonic foundation and texture, while drummer James Russell Sims anchors the group with propulsive rhythms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"\u003eWhat makes this live album essential is the way it captures the spontaneity and intensity of performance. These aren't polished studio takes but rather raw, in-the-moment explorations where the quartet responds to the room's energy and to each other. The Blue Note's intimate setting and storied history add weight to every note, making this document feel like a significant moment in Cross' career and in the ongoing evolution of jazz.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"\u003eFor fans familiar with Cross' studio work, this album offers a chance to hear how these compositions breathe and expand in a live context. For newcomers, it's a thrilling introduction to one of contemporary jazz's most innovative voices.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"New Soil","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42445730906171,"sku":null,"price":95.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0630\/3203\/3339\/files\/8721253994855.webp?v=1757219950"},{"product_id":"theon-cross-intra-i-2022-new-soil-vinyl-lp","title":"Theon Cross - Intra-I (2022 New Soil Vinyl LP)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTheon Cross - \u003cem\u003eIntra-I\u003c\/em\u003e | Vinyl LP - 2022 New Soil (NS0015LP)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTheon Cross's second album as a leader\u003c\/strong\u003e, recorded at Hoxa HQ, London and produced by Cross and Emre Ramazanoglu; a duo record built around tuba and drums, expanded across ten tracks with guest vocalists including Shumba Maasai, Afronaut Zu and Consensus, and closing with a two-tuba improvisation with Oren Marshall\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDedicated to the memory of Errol Cross\u003c\/strong\u003e, Theon's father; the album was made partly through the grief of his death, and \"Watching Over (Bless Up Dad)\" addresses it directly\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVinyl LP on Cross's own New Soil label\u003c\/strong\u003e, lacquer cut at Electric Mastering, pressed at Schallplattenfabrik Pallas GmbH\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheon Cross came up through Tomorrow's Warriors — the London jazz education programme run by Gary Crosby OBE — alongside Nubya Garcia, Moses Boyd and others who would form the centre of the UK jazz revival of the late 2010s. He went on to the Guildhall School of Music and became a core member of Sons of Kemet, Shabaka Hutchings's Mercury Prize-nominated group, for which the tuba provided not decoration but structural weight. His debut solo album \u003cem\u003eFyah\u003c\/em\u003e (Gearbox, 2019) made explicit how far he had pushed the instrument's possibilities. \u003cem\u003eIntra-I\u003c\/em\u003e — the title meaning roughly \"inner self\" — goes further, stripping the ensemble to its minimum. The record's core is a duo: Cross on tuba and Emre Ramazanoglu on drums, percussion, keys, effects and programming. Ramazanoglu is a producer whose credits span Ill Considered, Noel Gallagher and Spiritualized, and his engineering shapes the record's scale considerably beyond what two people might be expected to produce.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCross made the album partly through the grief of losing his father, Errol Cross, during the pandemic. \"Watching Over (Bless Up Dad)\" is a direct address. The music draws on jazz, dub, reggae, soca, grime and hip-hop without announcing the transitions — the tuba moving between sub-bass pressure, melody and drone within single tracks. Guest vocalists appear on five of the ten pieces: Shumba Maasai on \"Roots,\" Afronaut Zu and Ahnansé on \"The Spiral,\" the Mathurin siblings on \"40tude,\" Consensus on \"Play To Win.\" \"Universal Alignment\" closes the album as a duo for two tubas — Cross with Oren Marshall, the tubist who preceded him in Sons of Kemet. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"New Soil","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43285359788091,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0630\/3203\/3339\/files\/a3949452453_10.jpg?v=1773658855"}],"url":"https:\/\/lushliferecords.com.au\/collections\/theon-cross.oembed","provider":"Lush Life Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}