Cross the Tracks - Brixton’s Jazz, Funk and Soul Festival: A Review
Cross the Tracks was held in Brixton’s Brockwell Park during May bank holiday weekend. As a relative newcomer to London’s festival scene, it isn’t as well known as other offerings - but it’s chilled vibe, focus on soul, funk and jazz beats, and excellent food and drink offerings have cemented it as a favourite amongst London’s festival crowd.
The Beats
The day began with bad news: much-anticipated headliner Erykah Badu - an American neo-soul vocalist - would not be performing. This was upsetting news to many who had attended (myself included) specifically to see her. However, the atmosphere quickly recovered after organisers had American rapper Freddie Gibbs perform; who stepped up alongside former collaborator Madlib to steal the show.
The earlier offerings were also excellent - Madlib’s first set alongside drummer Daru Jones earlier in the day provided chill, lofi jazz beats. Admittedly, the audio quality wasn’t the best, but the acts more than made up for the technical difficulty with their excellent performance. Other notable acts included Glaswegian corto.alto, combining traditional jazz with edgier beats, and was joined by keyboardist Freddie McCreadie. Additionally, BADBADNOTGOOD attracted a huge crowd with their unique combination of jazz, groove, and synth sounds, seamlessly combining with multi-instrumental improvisations.
Up-and-coming acts like saxophonist Venna, accompanied by Manny Simelane’s electric bass, provided an open-air extravaganza with their mesh of rap and jazz beats. DJ Gilles Peterson’s set also dazzled, concentrating heavily on afrobeats and free jazz.
Pop act En Vogue closed the show, providing nostalgic disco beats, sampling and mashing classics like Aretha Franklin’s R-E-S-P-E-C-T with other RnB and soul beats to create an unforgettable end to the evening, complete with bad dancing and enough singing for me to lose my voice the next morning. Overall, the music was exceptional and accessible for people from all age groups and backgrounds whilst being firmly in the realm of jazz, funk and soul.
The Venue
Cross the Tracks had organised a medley of excellent local offerings when it came to the food, with two separate food areas and a great bar selection with plenty of craft beers on tap (even if a bottle of water cost £3.00). We particularly enjoyed the mac and cheese. The festival was thoughtfully laid out with a variety of different stages, plenty of toilets, and several medical stations throughout. There were also water stations throughout the venue, and bad were searched upon entry.
The vibes were also immaculate, with most of the attendees being dressed to the nines - a great day for people watching. Fashion was a big element of the festival - leaving our group feeling severely underdressed. There were Beyoncé-style headdresses, beautiful braids with silk butterflies and flowers braided in, lots of colour. Streetwear was also a big presence, with the typical baggy silhouette a common sight.
Accessibility was something of an issue - being in the park, the ground was uneven and not suitable for wheelchair users. As usual in festivals, it was loud and crowded, so not particularly suitable for those with sensory issues. As a photosensitive epileptic, the lights were a little intense in the day, but this was easily mitigated with the classic cap and sunglasses combo. After the sun went down, however, I ended up dancing with my back facing the act, eyes closed, sunglasses still on, and cap pulled down over my eyes (the things I do for good music). All of this is typical of concerts and festivals, so if you have accessibility requirements please make sure to contact the venue beforehand.