Jazz
Artists: Theon Cross, Joshua Idehen.
Scene: Fasching, Stockholm.
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The tuba is associated almost exclusively with marching and orchestral music and early jazz. Every now and then a tuba player has moved the positions forward, mainly by updating the repertoire. But before this evening, I had hardly heard anyone other than the Swedish Per-Åke Holmlander, who is completely able to lift the large brass instrument out of its expected context.
As if to prepare the audience of the Englishman Theon Cross begins the concert with – spoken word. It should be about as far from the tube as you can get. But what Joshua Idehen does on stage is also to take something you recognize – pronounced words, in this case – on a journey. Backed by a guy who mixes music and beats live, the English-born Nigerian (now based in Stockholm) gives evidence of both poetic drive and the freedom of creative expression regardless of means.
Theon Cross is known from the band Sons of Kemet and performs with a saxophonist, a guitarist and a drummer. No wonder – if it were not for that tuba. Cross moves from acting bassist to generating sounds like from some mythical battle horn in Tolkien. From time to time he plays both bass lines and melody every now and then and with an attack in the right register that reminds of how trumpeters can strike notes.
Stylistically, there are elements of free jazz, funk, afrobeat and psychedelic grooves where Cross keeps the bass going while interacting with Chelsea Carmichael’s soulful tenor sax. Most exciting is still his playing in the middle register, as it does not really correspond to the role of any instrument in jazz. To call it a bit of each does not hold either, for Cross’ own identity not only appears clearer but also feels more cohesive the less he brings to mind others and other things. Tubaists and the tuba itself, to say the least.