Theon Cross

Affirmations: Live at Blue Note NYC

 New Soil & Division 81

In years past, let’s say since Bill Barber and Raymond Draper in the ‘60s, it was unusual to hear tuba solos in jazz.  Surely, we’ve heard the versatile Howard Johnson and the tubist Bob Stewart on those great Arthur Blythe albums of yore. Yet, the UK’s Theon Cross is arguably the most exciting and energetic one to play the instrument in this wide umbrella of “jazz.” His work with the now-defunct Sons Of Kemet would attest to such, but Cross has proved it too on his solo work – 2019’s FYAH (Gearbox),2021’s INTRA-1 (New Soil), and his 7-inch single Wings/Back to Africa. Some pieces from each of those efforts appear on Affirmations: Live at Blue Note NYC,  Cross’s first live album and first appearance in NYC. The band rekindles the live magic of Sons of Kemet, albeit with a different configuration. The fiery saxophonist Isaiah Collier is the perfect counterpart to Cross, along with London-based guitarist NIkos Ziarkas, who adds, as needed, ambience, texture, or psychedelia. Collier’s drummer, James Russell Sims, is a kinetic wonder.

Those familiar with London jazz know that it encompasses frime, hip-hop, reggae, and dancehall elements, all of which are on display in this volcanic set that ranges from urban grit to spiritual, the latter of which is Collier’s specialty. The promotional materials mention John Coltrane’s Live at the Village Gate and Sonny Rollins’ Live at the Village Vanguard as reference points, and although this sounds like neither of those, it belongs in the same conversation in terms of spirit and intensity. Cross arranged the set like a DJ, replete with grooves, breaks, and scintillating bass lines played on tuba (his speed alone is so amazing, it’s hard to discern if he takes a breath) or the electric guitar.

The album kicks off rather unexpectedly with synths and sci-fi-like electronic waves akin perhaps to The Comet is Coming in “Greetings.”  After about a minute and a half, the two horns enter, continuing to blur the soundscape. This tune, however, doesn’t set the tone for the set. The electronic pattern vaporizes into “We Go Again,” where we hear Collier blowing a robust, repetitive phrase, underpinned by Cross’s bass-like tuba lines against the drummer’s whirlwind activity and Ziarkas’ atmospherics. Cross delivers a dazzling solo in “Transitions,” with an uncanny sense of rhythm. This leads into “Play to Win,” sounding like a distorted New Orleans brass band on another planet. Said another way, it carries the kind of futurist vibe as that of Sun Ra. Cross and Collier run at full throttle here, propelled by Sims’ unrelenting beats where Afro-beat meets hip-hop and a few areas in between.

“Leap of Faith” is another Cross solo piece serving as an interlude that segues into the high-powered “Wings” from his 7-inch release.  Cross continues to solo vigorously in conversation with Sims until Collier, the ever-reliable foil, enters the fray set to a hip-hop rhythm, ending in band intros, set to music. “Transcending” tampers down the tempo, reverting to the ethereal, with Collier teaming with Ziarkas to create a spiritual, reaching vibe in this highly textured piece that sounds as if it’s drawn by far more than just the four instruments.

“Affirmations” is a staple of Cross’ live show but appears on record for the first time here, a feature for Ziarkas and Sims mostly, but with a healthy dose of the two horns as well,  it hits the boiling point, only to recede some over the lengthy 14 minutes. “Here and Now” is another solo interlude leading into “Radiation” from his album FYAH. The soloing tuba extends as an intro before morphing into a heavy funk groove developed by Cross and Sims, over which Collier and Ziarkas engage in feisty exchanges for nine minutes of punk-jazz, which surely must have rattled the walls of the venerable club. Sparks are flying!  The quartet eases into “Candace of Meroe” with Sims’ Afro-Latin intro that draws bubbling, percolating lines from Cross, accented by Collier and Ziarkas. Having witnessed a 45-minute non-stop set at Newport 2019 when Cross was sparring with Shabaka, this kind of fiery energy is not surprising. In fact, by now, it is a hallmark. The set closes (with perhaps an encore) in a funky, soulful mode not unlike “Play to Win” with the ensemble down just a notch on the accelerator. As it evolves, Collier is blowing mightily over Cross’s unbreakable bassline, the group again going full bore.

The unrestrained energy of this live set is palpable, making this one of the leading live albums of the year so far. It’s white-hot.

• Jim Hynes

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