Theo Croker

Croker’s new album - AfroPhysicist - comes out on May 20, 2014 on Dee Dee Bridgewater‘s DDB Records via Sony Masterworks’ imprint OKeh Records. This is Croker’s third album and the inaugural release on Bridgewater’s label. His music literally shape-shifts without pause through 12 captivating selections.

AfroPhysicist includes three vocals sung by Bridgewater, each from different eras and genres, and all re-imagined in bold strokes: “Moody’s Mood For Love” (the classic James Moody instrumental vocalized by Eddie Jefferson in the `50s, then by George Benson with Patti Austin in the `80s); “Save Your Love For Me,” (made famous by Nancy Wilson with the Cannonball Adderley Quintet in 1962); and “I Can’t Help It,” originally introduced by Michael Jackson on 1979′s Off the Wall, and flipped here into a sizzling, chattering Afro-Cuban whirlwind.

Though Croker recorded two previous albums as a leader - The Fundamentals in 2007 and In the Tradition in 2009 – the time he spent in Shanghai prepared him to become the daring artist that Bridgewater was excited to unleash on her DDB label. “What was hot in New York didn’t matter,” says Croker. “We were far enough removed that nobody was judging us.”

When Croker met Bridgewater, it was October of 2009 during the Shanghai Jazz Festival, where he was playing in the big band that backed her. The two hit it off at an after-party jam and met for lunch during her next visit. When Bridgewater inquired about the music the trumpeter was working on, Croker handed over his iPod and told her to listen for herself. By Summer 2010, they were in discussions about recording an album. “The first thing Dee Dee said was, ‘We are not doing a jazz record,’” Croker says laughing. “It was perfect. I already knew who I was and I had no inhibitions.”

AfroPhysicist features Croker’s core group: keyboardist Sullivan Fortner, wind and reed man Irwin Hall, drummer Karriem Riggins, acoustic/electric bassist Michael Bowie and guitarist David Gilmore, with other horns and specialists. One standout guest is vibraphonist Stefon Harris who brings his unfiltered spell casting to a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Visions.” “In another life, maybe I was a singer,” Croker muses. “I gave up on that dream a long time ago but felt I could really convey the meaning of Stevie’s deeply relevant lyric through my horn. His Innervisions album (1973) was a huge influence for me, flow wise.”

Croker also persuaded friend and trumpet veteran Roy Hargrove to guest on a song of his own composition, “Roy Allan” (which Hargrove dedicated to his father). Hargrove originally recorded the tune instrumentally for his 1995 classic album Family, but sang his accompanying lyric only occasionally in concert…until now. Croker also pays tribute to South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela by recording the meditative Serengeti slink of “Bo Masekela,” composed by the great Caiphus Semenya in 1965 in honor of Masekela and his then-wife, Miriam Makeba. A souring relationship inspired Croker’s own “It’s Not You, It’s Me (But You Didn’t Help),” featuring synchronistic interplay between Croker and Hall on alto flute.

The genre-fusing “Light Skinned Beauty” has elements of rock, hip hop/R&B and a fast swing. “Think about the lines of race being blurred… When you first meet someone, it’s hard to tell them who you are in 4-5 minutes. This song is a statement like that,” explains Croker. “So if you see a cutie at the bar and you throw out these three genres – with the same harmony and vibe all the way through but with stuff changing over the surface – hopefully one line will stick!”

Before moving to Shanghai, the then 16-year-old Croker lived in Jacksonville, Florida, attending the Douglas Anderson School of Arts and becoming an artist in residence at the Ritz Theatre with its big band. Upon graduation, he attended the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio, drawn by Dr. Donald Byrd and a faculty of jazz legends including Gary Bartz. Croker won the Presser Music Foundation Award in 2006 and used the money to fund a debut album of original compositions.

“I’ve always tried to find my own way,” Croker states. “I went to Oberlin College instead of Juilliard. Then I went to China. Once there, I opened up – not only to survive but to investigate what was going on. I joined a way-out fusion group led by Alec Haavik, but I also joined a salsa band. Musicians in China don’t have stereotypes. To live well, you played everything.” Now, following several years of hustling as a freelance musician and live music promoter in Shanghai, Croker is back in New York preparing to take it to the next level. “Dee Dee said it was time for me to come home.”

“My older brother is the one who imparted the nickname AfroPhysicist upon me,” Croker concludes. “Last spring, I dropped it on Dee Dee and she dug it. She introduced me to an audience that way. They liked it, so it stuck. Maybe it will create a buzz. Look at what artists like Kanye West and Erykah Badu do, changing their genre titles and names to fit different artistic directions. Truthfully, I am a lil’ wild! So the title fits – a crazy person in the basement snatching all these things together.” Show less

Joey Alexander: Continuance

Read "Continuance" reviewed by Neil Duggan

by Neil Duggan
November 6, 2023

At some point, even a child prodigy grows up. Now 20 years old, Balinese pianist, Joey Alexander has come long way from the six- year-old exposed to Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk and Bill Evans, the eight-year-old playing in front of Herbie Hancock and the ten-year-old winning improvisation competitions. It may be hard to believe but Continuance is his seventh release. Given his age, ability and meteoric rise, expectations are always high, perhaps unfairly so. In his expected progress ...

Album Review

Billy Valentine: Billy Valentine And The Universal Truth

Read "Billy Valentine And The Universal Truth" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi

by Angelo Leonardi
April 24, 2023

Dopo quarant'anni d'assenza dal mercato, l'etichetta Flying Dutchman torna con una produzione intensa e avvincente, che ci riporta ai suoi anni migliori. Protagonista è Billy Valentine, soul singer degli anni settanta tornato alla ribalta cinque anni fa (col sorprendente quanto ignorato Brit Eyed Soul) e qui accompagnato da formazioni che includono Jeff Parker, Joel Ross, Immanuel Wilkins, Pino Palladino, Theo Croker, Larry Goldings, Linda May Han Oh, e altri nomi di primo piano. Bob ...

Year in Review

Mark Sullivan's Best Jazz & Beyond Albums Of 2022

by Mark Sullivan
January 9, 2023

Another great year for recordings. The pandemic's influence faded, but several of the albums on my list were still created remotely. My picks leaned towards the experimental side: a bit more “beyond" than “jazz." I could have easily listed another ten albums released by ECM Records and Blue Note Records--to name two established labels I have always especially loved--which both had strong years. Here's to 2022, and Happy New Year! Theo Croker Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic ...

Album Review

Theo Croker: Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XII: Sketches of Miles

Read "Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XII: Sketches of Miles" reviewed by Mark Sullivan

by Mark Sullivan
October 29, 2022

Let us just cut to the chase and say this is a terrific collection of live concert interpretations and arrangements of acoustic Miles Davis music, drawing from recordings originally released between 1956 and 1968. This period arguably includes his most beloved output, with a place in the hearts of most jazz fans. The first disc in the set focuses on the Miles Davis Quintet, as played by the Theo Croker Quartet. The second disc is devoted to Davis's large ensemble ...

Radio & Podcasts

Theo Croker, Tigran Hamasyan, Camille Bertault, David Helbock & Other New Releases

by Ludovico Granvassu
September 24, 2022

Tributes to Miles and Mingus, Camille Bertault, Theo Croker, and the German label ACT Music are some of the threads of this playlist, which also features one of the most surprising albums of the year... but you have to listen to find out what that is... Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Theo Croker feat. Chris Dave “Cosmic Intercourse (Pt. II)" Love Quantum (Masterworks) 0:16 Host talks ...

Radio & Podcasts

T.S. Monk, Grant Stewart & Theo Croker

by Joe Dimino
August 14, 2022

Innovative trumpeter Theo Croker begins the 764th Episode of Neon Jazz with a song off his album Love Quantum. The theme of the hour is modern jazz released in 2022. We also hear new material from T.S. Monk off his first live album and feature Dan Olivo, Steve Hudson, Tim Lin and Steve Knight. Listen in to the current and future direction of jazz. Enjoy the music, my friends.Playlist Theo Croker “Cosmic Intercourse Pt. II" Love Quantam (Star ...

Live Review

Belgrade Jazz Festival 2021

by Martin Longley
March 11, 2022

Belgrade Jazz Festival Dom Omladine/Kombank Dvorana Belgrade, Serbia October 26-November 1, 2021 The 37th Belgrade Jazz Festival made a full return to its accustomed international nature, following the late 2020 mostly-Serbian edition. Artists successfully managed to arrive from the USA and various parts of Europe, with no cancellations in the programme. This was also the 50th anniversary of the BJF, taking into account the 'missing' war-years in the divided post-Yugoslavian landscape. As ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Theo Croker

Source: Michael Ricci
July 18, 2023

All About Jazz is celebrating Theo Croker's birthday today!

Enter the AfroPhysicist- trumpeter/composer Theo Croker. Coming straight out of Leesburg, Florida by way of Shanghai, China, this bold young soul-jazz newcomer, grandson of New Orleans trumpet legend Doc Cheatham is fortified by tradition with no lack of contemporary electricity to propel him into the future. Croker’s new album- AfroPhysicist- comes out on May 20, 2014 on Dee Dee Bridgewater‘s DDB Records via Sony Masterworks’ imprint OKeh Records. This is Croker’s ...
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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Theo Croker

Source: Michael Ricci
July 18, 2022

All About Jazz is celebrating Theo Croker's birthday today!

Award / Grant

Theo Croker Wins Marcus Belgrave National Jazz Trumpet Competition In Conjunction With Detroit Jazz

Source: Muse Media
August 29, 2013

THEO CROKER WINS MARCUS BELGRAVE NATIONAL JAZZ TRUMPET COMPETITION IN CONJUNCTION WITH DETROIT JAZZ Croker, Recently Signed to Dee Dee Bridgewater’s DDB Records Distributed by OKeh Records/SonyMasterworks, Will Also Release New CD in Spring 2014 Los Angeles, CA: Critically-acclaimed cutting-edge trumpet player Theo Croker has won the Marcus Belgrave National Jazz Trumpet Competition in conjunction with Detroit Jazz. Held in honor of Detroit Jazz legend Marcus Belgrave, the competition recognizes and provides performance opportunities to outstanding jazz trumpeters 35 years ...
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Interview

Trumpeter Theo Croker Interviewed at AAJ

Source: Michael Ricci
September 23, 2009

If you've never seen Theo Croker before, he's a pretty easy one to spot. He's the one with the trumpet by his side at all times. The neat dreadlocks and mischievous glint in his eye are also dead giveaways. Having grown up in the U.S. in a musically oriented family, Croker was introduced to the world of jazz and the blues at a young age. He picked up the trumpet at 11 and has been a virtuoso ever since, recording ...
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143

Performance / Tour

Universal Musical Appeal - Live Performances by Theo Croker

Source: Mosnar Communications, Inc
July 8, 2008

Theo Croker is home and performing live in New York - at least for the moment. Don't miss out on the opportunity to see him perform live at the Rubin Museum of Art's Harlem in the Himalayas series. He recently returned from a live performance tour in Shanghai, China with stops in London and Egypt on the way back. Theo's sensational jazz style is becoming a hot demand for both jazz and hip hop fans. Brenda Bradley of Exalt Entertainment ...
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157

Music Industry

Theo Croker: A Global Jazz Sensation in the Making

Source: Mosnar Communications, Inc
June 20, 2008

Brenda Bradley of Exalt Entertainment Group interviews International up and coming favorite Theo Croker about his thoughts on the jazz industry and future plans. What do you believe is behind your growing international audience? Well, for one thing, winning the Presser Foundation Award and being able to use the funding for my first recording, The Fundamentals, gave me a lot of artistic freedom. I was also able to independently distribute to international radio for airplay. And the response was great. ...
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141

Performance / Tour

Theo Croker to Perform at Rubin Museum of Art

Source: Mosnar Communications, Inc
June 19, 2008

Jazz sensation 20ish, Theo Croker is making a global name for himself within the jazz community. Croker the grandson of legendary jazz great Doc Cheatham is leading the family legacy in the jazz world. On June 20, 2008 Theo Croker will perform at the Rubin Museum of Art New York City. The show starts at 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Theo Croker Upcoming Appearances: June 20 - The Billy Hart Academy Featuring Theo Croker July 11 - The Theo Croker ...
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110

Performance / Tour

Theo Croker Amazing Shanghai

Source: Mosnar Communications, Inc
November 21, 2007

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Performance / Tour

Reggie Workman's Sculptured Sounds Presents @ Twins Features Billy Hart's "The Academy" (Special Guest: Theo Croker (TPT), Aug.17 & 18

Source: All About Jazz
August 17, 2007

Nominated by the Jazz Journalist Association as the “Top Jazz Drummer" Internationally acclaimed Billy Hart is truly an artist of distinction! Marked by a crisp, driving beat contrasted by a looser, uncanny flexibility, the consummate jazz drummer and DC native- son has appeared on over 400 recordings, many pivotal, of such jazz icons as Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. With “The Academy," Hart continues the great musical incubator concept of Blakely's Messenger's and other groups. The dynamic Hart ...
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122

Performance / Tour

Theo Croker Quintet @ The Rubin Museum of Art, Fri., Aug. 10, 7PM

Source: The Cinarae Group
August 10, 2007

At 21 years old, Theo Croker's musicianship possesses a depth far beyond his years. A rising star on the New York jazz scene, see this dynamic trumpeter whose legacy as the grandson of jazz trumpet legend Doc Cheatham, is profoundly felt when he plays.

THEO CROKER QUINTET

Theo Croker/ Trumpet Stantawn Kendrick/Tenor Sax Sullivan Fortner/Piano Chris Mees/Bass Kassa Overall/ Drums @ Rubin Museum of Art 150 ...
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