TBC introduces… Christ-Stéphane Boizi
Tell us a bit about yourself - how did you first get into making music?
I first got into music in school, where we would sing church hymns together. My mum always had music playing in the house; gospel was a mainstay in the household. In short, I started out singing, and continued to sing very regularly until I was fifteen.
I got introduced to the trombone when I started secondary school, joined Kinetika Bloco at age fourteen and Tomorrow's Warriors at age fifteen, and I have not looked back!
The trombone has a rich history and a unique part in the development of jazz, being central to the early New Orleans sound. Was it always the trombone for you, or did you explore other instruments first?
It’s always been the trombone. My secondary school held annual “instrument trials”, and I did not know anything about the trombone. When asked what I wanted to play, I said violin, trumpet, saxophone, or piano; those were the only instruments I knew. The trumpet mouthpiece did not feel comfortable, and I don’t think I even tried the tuba, thank God. The trombone mouthpiece felt a lot more comfortable, and I was able to make an initial sound, and have stuck with it ever since.
What sort of music did you grow up listening to?
Gospel was always in the house, and I regularly attend church every Sunday, and I love it! I listened to an array of music growing up, from pop to rap. I was picking up what everyone was listening to to join in the different conversations in school.
It was not until I found jazz, after joining Kinetika Bloco, that I felt like I had found a genre that I resonated with and obsessed over. The joy I experienced on that first day at Kinetika Bloco is a moment I always think back to, and I feel that same feeling every time I pick up my trombone.
Tell us a bit about Tomorrow’s Warriors - how important were they in giving you and other artists of your generation in London a platform?
Warriors have played a huge role in the progression of the scene as we know it. Almost every band or artist that you can think of on the London jazz scene has passed through Tomorrow’s Warriors’ doors as a young musician. This is the same case with my generation, and it’s a beautiful thing.
Meeting and spending time with other musicians every Saturday, learning tunes together, advising each other, crossing paths at Conservatoire, doing life with your people in general, is one of the most important factors of being at Warriors. Community. It helps everything else that we do as musicians; it also makes being on the bandstand easier, because you know those up there with you have your back.
Warriors has afforded many of us with incredible opportunities; the contact time you get with teachers and mentors who are living this music is invaluable. Witnessing folks much older than you doing what you hopefully see yourself doing in the future makes the dream so much clearer. This speaks to the ethos Warriors carry: "Each One, Teach One." This affirmation is what I see my generation and the generation below me embodying, I am constantly learning from them all. It’s such a special environment to be in.
How is the buzz of playing your own music with your own band?
There is no other feeling like it, I am extremely lucky to have the privilege of playing with these cats. The effort they put into the music can be felt; if anybody else were playing this material, it wouldn’t work. Before being band members or even what instrument they play, they’re dear friends of mine, and their friendship is important to me and is what makes every moment we spend on and off the bandstand special.
Playing alongside them is something I do not take for granted. I have the busiest friends imaginable who are making headway with their own projects and playing with some of the heaviest titans in the country, but they play this music with an incredible level of ownership. Tom, Kezia, Lauren, Sacha, and Jacob (who isn’t here currently) make this music what it is. I just provide the roadmap, but together we chart a journey through this music.
This gig is part of our Generation Jazz series, which is about offering a stepping stone for young artists beginning to establish their careers. How does it feel to be taking your first steps outside London and making a name for yourself with your own band?
It’s a deep privilege; The Bear Club is a prestigious venue that has brought the best of the best from across the nation to Luton. The fact that you are looking to younger, less-known groups and musicians is a testament to your belief in the music, and I am extremely proud to be playing here.
This gig will be the beginning of us trying to expand our audience and slowly venture out to other places in the rest of the country. Super excited.
Who are your favourite jazz musicians, and who are your main influences now?
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers was the first group I really resonated with, and I am forever chasing what he found in this group of musicians. He was an entire institution, and I think that is beautiful.
JJ Johnson is the perfect voice on the trombone, in my opinion. I used to be quite dismissive of him; however, as I have matured, I’ve realised he is the guy.
I have spent quite a lot of time digging into Dexter Gordon’s compositions and solos, and his clarity on the tenor saxophone is something I want to instil into my playing. He means every note he plays.
Can you give us a heads up on an album or an artist you like that we might not have come across and should check out?
Gregory Groover Jr. and Jarien Jamanila. Both individuals have albums that have helped make the musical path I’d like to take a lot clearer.
Do you have plans to record your own music, and when can we expect to hear it?
Yes, we’re looking forward to putting this music on wax very soon, sooner than you think. Keep your eyes peeled.
Who’s in your quintet, and what can we expect from your show at The Bear?
Lauren Breen on alto sax, Jacob Wilson on tenor sax, Kezia Abuoma on piano, Tom Sheen on double bass, Sacha Harlan on drums, and myself on trombone.
Expect music that helps uplift your spirit. Expect to have a good time, we’ll be having a great time. It’s going to be a lot of fun, and we can’t wait to meet you all at The Bear Club!
Christ-Stéphane joins us with his quintet on Saturday 18 October 2025