A Londoner with Caribbean ancestry, Theon Cross is a virtuosic and in-demand tuba player who has not only reawakened interest in the big, unwieldy brass instrument that went out of fashion in jazz in the 1930s but also broadened its musical horizons. In addition to his role in the ground-breaking band Sons Of Kemet – where his tuba bass lines erupt like deep seismic detonations – Cross has also issued several recordings as a leader. His debut album, 2019’s Fyah, was a startlingly original instrumental offering defined by incendiary grooves while his contrasting follow-up LP, 2021’s Intra-I, found the tubist expanding his palette with a kaleidoscopic mesh of modern jazz, hip-hop, reggae and grime that featured cameos from rappers and vocalists.
