Hand made for the beautiful weather we are currently experiencing and one of my most anticipated festivals of 2023, Cross The Tracks is back in Brockwell Park next Sunday! Bringing one of the most eclectic jazz lineups of the year, there are some massive heavy hitters on the bill such as Ezra Collective, Roy Ayers and Mr Anderson Park and Knxwledge hitting the stage as NxWorries. Alongside these giants, the booking team for this wonderful festival have also curated a lineup of some of the absolute best in emerging and established talent in 2023 - so I wanted to put together a list of my top five recommendations for the festival!
1. Yazmin Lacey
Fresh off of her fantastic debut record Voice Notes, she is one of the fastest rising voices in UK soul and its easy to see why. With amazing lyricism, powerful vocals and a healthy dose of groove she exemplifies everything good about soul. I also massively recommend her EP Morning Matters as one of the best projects I heard from 2020. It's sure to be a packed out set, so get down early to make sure you get a good place.
2. Muva Of Earth
Supporting the queen herself, Erykah Badu, Muva of Earth clearly has some special cosigns. Ethereal vocals and an incredible harp playing ability, she is certainly one of the most unique live artists on the bill. I have only been able to see her once and sadly it was in a dark basement in the middle of winter, but there is no artist more suited to a sun kissed open-air festival show than Muva of Earth. Be sure not to miss her other music alongside Angel Seka under the alias DIVINEANGEL! The IZCO remix of 'OBiNRiN' is at the top of my most played tunes as of right now.
3. The Silhouettes Project
Not technically an artist, Yhe Silhouettes Project is a platform for underground UK hip-hop, jazz and soul artists. Their debut record back in 2020 featured appearances from Bel Cobain, Lex Amor, Enny, Eerf Evil and a million other fantastic musicians. Volume two is on the horizon, so without a doubt they'll be bringing some of the best underground voices that the scene has to offer in preparation for the new record!
4. Liv.e
Liv.e is a breath of fresh air when it comes to Neo-soul in the 2020s. Experimental production, beautifully layered vocals and an incredibly diverse discography, Liv.e is an unstoppable force at the moment. Features with Earl Sweatshirt, Mount Kimble, Navy Blue and Pink Siifu show just how much of a chameleon she is. On top of that, her sophomore record this year Girl In The Half Pearl is one of the best (and most unique) Neo-soul records we've been graced with in the last decade. Do not miss!
5. DOMi & JD BECK
Okay, maybe you've heard of these guys after their ridiculously good debut record NOT TiGHT dropped last year on the legendary Blue Note Records. With possibly the biggest feature list 2022 with names such as Thundercat, Mac Demarco, Herbie Hancock, Anderson Paak, Snoop Dogg and Busta Rhymes these two have some incredibly talented friends and cosigns. They have also been labelled 'jazz prodigies' by a million publications, having been shredding their respective instruments since early days. Potentially my most anticipated set of the weekend, I cannot wait.
With one of the best lineups at one of the best locations with some of the best weather, I am ridiculously excited for this one. Shout out to the Cross the Tracks booking team for curating such a perfect day!
Tickets are still available here.
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