“In The Tradition” jazzreview.com
Theo Croker’s In the Tradition ends with a Teddy Wilson gem, ” Little Things That Mean So Much.” In two minutes of beauty, with just piano backing and a sound that’s all his own, the young trumpeter pays tribute to the ageless jazz master, Doc Cheatham. The entire album honors Cheatham and he would have loved this group – three youthful players, Croker, Sullivan Fortner on piano, bassist Joe Sanders plus the young-at-heart... Read More
In The Tradition Review: Ken Dryden allmusic.com
Theo Croker is a sharp young trumpeter who made his debut recording in 2006, followed by these 2008 sessions for Arbors. The grandson of the late trumpeter Doc Cheatham, Croker salutes his ancestor by playing a number of songs associated with him, adapting an approach that would have pleased his grandfather, one that keeps the melody in mind and avoids wasting notes. Read Full Review: All Music.com Read More
The Fundamentals Review: Ken Dryden allmusic.com
The grandson of the late Doc Cheatham, trumpeter Theo Croker’s outstanding debut as a leader would have made his grandfather very proud. Assembling a group of presumably young lions (Croker was around 21 years old at the time of recording), the trumpeter wrote and arranged everything. Unlike many such projects, where a leader has the chops but isn’t quite ready to showcase so much original material at once, Croker displays a surprising... Read More
