How do you like your crossover? If a bit then Theo Croker’s much hyped latest is a blend of jazz, soul, hip-hop, R&B and his jazz futuristic blend of cosmic psychedelia. Some songs like ‘High Vibrations’ featuring Malaya and d’Leau are the sort of stuff you’d just hear on the random radio or at an eclectic outdoors festival and not think twice about until you get to the trumpet improvisations from Croker in the middle of it all. They elevate the song into something that bit more substantial even when he’s noodling.
I’m all for a bit of noodling. Heavily produced, it’s not the sort of album done in the space of 6 hours with everybody in the same room, no overdubs anywhere, with everything released online the next morning. Instead a whole lotta time has gone into the recording, mix and mastering which certainly makes it more of an artefact.
But that same aspect of a thick sonic blanket over a whole lot of the record that has more in common with commercial record production won’t please jazz purists at all as most top – note Dream Manifest is “nu jazz” however nebulous a term fundamentally – albums DO NOT SOUND LIKE THIS. But there’s no point comparing apples with pears or wanting everyone to sound the same. Go with this flow. We got that memo.
Personnel include Mike King on Fender Rhodes and piano who I’ve heard duo-ing with Kassa Overall who is also on the record. That was at a late night set in the Pizza during the London Jazz Festival the year before Covid first hit. I have also heard Croker at a concert in the Cadogan Hall put together by Siggi Loch of ACT records when Benny Golson who has sadly passed away since stole the show. It was a slightly bizarre night featuring a bit of wildly anachronistic boogie woogie from the never knowingly understated Axel Zwingenberger.
Croker has jazz genes given he’s the grandson of Doc Cheatham, who was lead trumpeter with Cab Calloway in the 1930s, but this is a world away from trad.
Also on the record which if you’re into Emma Jean Thackray is probably up your street most are bassist Eric Wheeler, drummer Michael Shekwoaga Ode plus ‘American Boy’ hitmaker erstwhile Kanye West collaborator Estelle, Ntu Troop legend Gary Bartz, Natureboy Flako (no me, neither) and others. I certainly don’t go back to everything here for engaged repeated or any much play. But of the tracks I do like ’64 Joints’ featuring Tyreek McDole stands out.
– Croker plays Fire Station, Sunderland on 24 July as part of a multi-artist show promoted by BBC Radio 3 programme Round Midnight.
Theo Croker photo: Bryant Norman/Wikipedia
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