Nubya Garcia (1991) has dominated jazz venues for some years now. It is therefore surprising that the recently released Source is her debut album.

In 2019 the tenor saxophonist performed with her band at the North Sea Jazz Festival on an evening featuring the latest generation of London jazz musicians. The British capital is experiencing a true jazz renaissance, its protagonists were given the chance to play on the collective album We Out Here in 2018. Many of these musicians played along on each other’s work, but Nubya Garcia crowned that album with five contributions. The London bands each have their own accents, but what they have in common is that they not only incorporate jazz in their music, but also influences from Africa and the Caribbean.

Nubya Garcia
Nubya Garcia at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 2019 (Picture Ron Beenen)

Earlier this year Garcia made an album with Maisha. In that band she combines spiritual jazz that reminds us of John Coltrane and Pharao Sanders with afrobeat like for instance Fela Kuti made it. Garcia also regularly plays with London bands like The Comet Is Coming, Ezra Collective, Nérija, Moses Boyd, Sons of Kemet and Shabaka Hutchings and the Ancestors.

Nubya Garcia has taken the time to prepare her album launch and this careful approach is now paying off. The pieces on Source are a catching mixture of spiritual jazz, warm-blooded reggae and Latin American rhythms.

Source
Source

Although the songs vary in intensity and tempo, Garcia’s group sound is recognizable. Garcia’s tenor saxophone plays a clear leading role. She says she is influenced by Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon and Joe Henderson and with these three she has in common that her sound is powerful, but never aggressive.

Portrait photo
Portrait Nubya Garcia

Garcia also gives space to others like her regular keyboard player Joe Armon-Jones. In addition to her own band members, she invited some guests including trumpeter Sheila Maurice – Grey, alto saxophonist Cassie Kinioshi and trombonist Richie Seivwright. A small choir sings on a few tracks. In the lyrics of these vocal pieces Garcia emphasizes her modest background, she shows social commitment and has a positive view on the power of human connection. This is pre-eminently music to be experienced live, but as long as it is difficult for London musicians to travel, this album is an perfect alternative.

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