Nubya Garcia: Tiny Desk Concert

Nikki Birch | April 9, 2025
Nubya Garcia smiles as she lights her bespoke incense. Named for Odyssey, her 2024 album, the scent is meant to give the same multisensory experience that she enjoys while listening to or creating music. As the fragrance fills the NPR Music office, her powerful, yet delicate compositions take us on a tranquil journey.

Garcia's deeply rich tenor saxophone graces swelling strings and hypnotic grooves throughout this Tiny Desk. "Dawn" sets the stage and "Solstice" turns up the tempo, then the band crests the wave into "Clarity" and the album's title track. Garcia's been compared to John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders, but her eloquent melodies, reggae and dub rhythms, and commanding tone keep the course, propelling the passage forward.

This performance concludes with "Triumphance," which features the first lyrics Garcia ever penned. Delivered with a gentle, but insistent strength, she encourages us: "Your difference is your power / Our differences can be our collective power."

SET LIST
"Dawn"
"Solstice"
"Clarity"
"Odyssey"
"Triumphance"

MUSICIANS
Nubya Garcia: tenor saxophone, vocals
Sam Jones: drums
Max Luthert: upright bass
Lyle Barton: keys
Amyr Joyner: 1st violin
Margret Radovani: 2nd violin
Kyung LeBlanc: viola
Maxfield Wollam-Fisher: cello

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Nikki Birch
Director/Editor: Maia Stern
Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame
Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
Production Assistant: Dora Levite
Photographer: Alanté Serene
Tiny Desk Team: Lars Gotrich, Ashley Pointer
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#nprmusic #tinydesk #nubyagarcia

[LIL-MAN_THE-OG]

How she plays and being from the UK makes sense, because she is basically playing 90s-2000s era UK Acid Jazz, Breakbeat, Drum and Bass and Broken Beat electronic music with a full band. It's literally amazing when you understand where she is getting her groove from. If you listened to UK and German groups like 4 Hero, Zero 7 (with Sia), Jazzanova, Incognito, AtJazz, Portishead and others--you get it.

[waynedexter]

The amount of Jazz artists coming out of The UK is dizzying. It’s like a movement/renaissance is happening there.
Thank you UK for not only keeping Jazz alive but also having it thrive.
…and thank you Nubya Garcia for being on the forefront of said movement and for being a great ambassador

[michaeldavis]

Saw her at a local jazz club a few years ago. Not only was she - and the band - great, but the place was packed with young ‘hipsters’ bopping their heads to the groove. For an old jazz dude like me, that vibe made it one of the highlights of my concert year.

Check her out live if you can.

[javiermonoartico]

What a gem of London Jazz scene is Nubya! Thanks NPR for this! Amazing performance!

[rnietunes]

I saw her and the band perform Odyssey live in Brooklyn last weekend.... MAGICAL! I was moved by her grace, creativity, and authenticity. SHE GOT SOUL! We see you Nubya.

[ToddKrill]

Best thing I've heard on YouTube today! "Odyssey" even evoked the Spirits of Trane, Tyner, Chambers and Jones! Need to search-out more of her music. Cheers!

[StanTheBrand]

Seeing young people playing good music does wonders for my heart, I’m not going to lie. 🙏🏾 🙏🏾

[jamilaw]

OMG YES!! I first discovered Nubya Garcia from her first Tiny Desk concert in 2020 during COVID and was completely mesmerized. What a gem. THANK YOU NPR for introducing us to such great artists 🙏🏾❤️

[audioslavewithamastermind]

Seeing her in Cape Town at the Cape Town International Jazz Fest on the 26th of April. So excited!!

[sim_art]

a very professional group! And on the double bass, and behind the keys, and the drummer. Well done, everyone!

[jamaalnyc]

I see Nubya Garcia, I click. I like. It's that simple. Shouts out to Tomorrow's Warriors!

[Victoria]

Wow🤩 This is really goregous music! I've never heard of Nubya and her band. Thanks for sharing and introducing me to her!👏🏽

[GrandRising]

I clicked on immediately! Thank you tiny desk!!!!

[ashrichards]

So much groove here, including the perfect Jamaican dub sew into the performance. Big up yah self Nubya Garcia, solidly placed within the jazz cannon.

[MarkRoss-vy]

Nubya you're fantastic, enjoying watching your much deserved rise to fame.

[SamuelPierce-ff]

JUST BEAUTIFUL! CLAIRVOYANT! MAGNIPHACANCE! Y-E-A-H! THANK YOU MS. NUBYA GARCIA!!

[brucejones]

Saw her in Pittsburgh at the International Jazz festival 2019, still sounding wonderful. ❤

[misfitsun]

Got to see Nubya and her band yesterday at Space in Evanston, IL. Thank you for this music. ✨✨

[millenialbroadcast]

The band has amazing artists! The keyboards and drummer were in pocket the whole way through.

[paulmart]

Thank you thank you thank you. Ms. Garcia featured on my radio show last month. Thank you.