Edinburgh Fringe : Theon Cross

Doors : 7.00pm - 22.00pm

General Asmission Standing

Age Limit : Over 14 Only / Under 16 with an adult

Theon Cross is one of those rare musicians whose vision has redefined their
instrument. His unique approach to the tuba has expanded the instrument’s
sonic possibilities in revolutionary

fashion, restoring it to a long-forgotten prominence as a crucial part of
the contemporary jazz ensemble. Through his combination of technical
mastery, studio smarts, deep musical knowledge and expansive vision, the
power and originality of Theon’s playing has reinvented the tuba’s

place in modern music.


Exploring the tuba’s possibilities in the light of diasporic bass culture,
Theon has worked to develop the full sonic spectrum of his instrument,
transforming it into a total 21st century

sound-system, powered by breath. Using the instrument’s ability to produce
sub-sonics, bass, mids, and tops, Theon creates complete sound-worlds,
building up from rhythm and bass to

arrive at melody. Employing its oft-neglected capacity to generate complex
multiphonics and sustained pedal tones, he can summon colour, texture and
atmosphere. With this expanded low-end theory as his base, Theon approaches
his music with a sensibility that travels freely across outernational style
and genre, but which remains deeply rooted in his own

African-Caribbean heritage. A graduate of Guildhall school of music and an
alumnus of the legendary Tomorrow’s Warriors, he is as at home with
ensemble jazz as he is when playing road

marches, collaborating with grime stars, or providing bassline pressure in
reggae, afrobeat or soca settings.