Cross the Tracks returns to Brixton’s Brockwell Park

Since it was founded in 2019, Cross the Tracks has quickly made a name for itself as London’s leading funk, soul, and jazz festival. Hosted in Brixton’s leafy Brockwell Park, this year’s lineup featured a stacked roster of artists that again struck an impressive balance between big name mainstream appeal and experimental improvisation and innovation. 

The day began with bad news: headliner Erykah Badu would no longer be performing due to illness. Although the neo-soul diva’s whacky creativity and quirky sense of humour was certainly missed, the festival organisers found a swift replacement in the form of American rapper Freddie Gibbs, who teamed up with former collaborator Madlib for a 10-year anniversary performance of their critically acclaimed 2014 album Piñata. Audiences were therefore treated to two full Madlib sets. The first was an hour of characteristically wonky triplet swing beats and lofi jazz samples accompanied by live drummer Daru Jones; the second set with Gibbs was, by contrast, much more commercial in its hip-hop appeal.      

The array of jazz musicians on display was spectacular, with Glasgow-based bandleader, composer, and multi-instrumentalist corto.alto (a.k.a. Liam Shortall) being the standout highlight. Performing in the wake of his recently released album Bad With Names, he unveiled a electrifyingly unique sound which blended traditional jazz composition with spontaneous improvisation and edgy dub beats. In this live context, he dazzled on both trombone and electric bass, and was joined by an equally impressive band which included the fabulously fast-fingered keyboardist Fergus McCreadie. Elsewhere, up-and-coming saxophonist Venna (below) performed his high-octane cocktail of rap beats and jazz. Immanuel ‘Manny’ Simelane’s seismically powerful electric bass lines were a particularly complementary accompaniment to Venna’s acidic alto tone, creating a thrilling sonic mix thoroughly well-suited to the expansive open-air stage.  

Ezra Collective trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi made an appearance as a solo artist, and his blisteringly bright trumpet tone and fluid bebop lines cut sharply through a dense mix of sub bass and drums. There was a strong West African dimension to Ogunjobi’s sound, with two percussionists on tama ‘talking’ drums adding a distinctive polyrhythmic intensity. As anticipated, seasoned festival headliners BADBADNOTGOOD attracted a massive crowd with their spacey jazz-infused grooves and slick multi-instrumental improvisations. This set featured a particularly accomplished guest appearance from Toronto-based trumpeter and synthesiser player Kae Murphy.  

As one of the most technically accomplished musicians on display on the day, guitarist Mansur Brown dazzled audiences with his genre-transcending virtuosic solos. DJ Gilles Peterson’s set was also exceptional, a tasteful deep dive into a box of classic afrobeat and free jazz LPs. The closing track was a club remix of Sun Ra’s ‘Nuclear War’ from the mid-1980s, a sample whose origin was undoubtably lost on many audience members but greatly enjoyed by all jazz aficionados present. 

There were a myriad more jazz-adjacent artists on show. Several vocalists were particularly strong, with the likes of Ella More, SIPHO, Victoria Jane, Lady Wray, and Sophia Grant all deserving of a particular mention for their modern interpretations of classic R’n’B and soul sounds. Groove-centred world music also had a strong presence. Accra-based collective SuperJazzClub and Lagos-based sibling duo The Cavemen both brought the energetic sounds of West African highlife music to the afternoon, whilst guitarist Dennis Bovell and renowned DJs such as David Rodigan and Channel One brought the infectious feel of Jamaican dancehall and reggae. The evening wrapped up with a glamourous and nostalgic performance from the soul-pop trio En Vogue.   

Overall, a fantastic day of music from one of London’s most musically engaging and varied music festivals, despite the bad news about Erykah.