[Cover photo credit to Ian Hippolyte]

Virtuoso Jazz tuba player Theon Cross has announced new album Affirmations: Live at Blue Note New York, out July 11, 2025 via New Soil and Division 81. A live recording, Affirmations features Cross joining forces with Chicago saxophonist Isaiah Collier for a suite in the iconic NYC club. The album’s lead single, “Affirmations” is out now.

A staple of Theon Cross’ live shows, the album’s title track and lead single, “Affirmations”, appears on record for the first time. A track that is a 14-minute epic, it captures the essence and dynamic range of Cross’ sound.

As Cross says, the track, “speaks to the power of verbally and mentally affirming the things we wish to see for ourselves in our reality.”

Featuring a line-up that blends London and Chicago talent, Cross is joined by saxophonist Isaiah Collier, drummer James Russell Sims and London-based guitarist Nikos Ziarkas (Chelsea Carmichael, Ron Trent, Moses Boyd), who has been close with Cross for several years.