The walk forward, with the hint of traditional flare

In the legacy of trumpeters such as Miles Davis, Lee Morgan, Kenny Dorham, and Dizzy Gillespie, Theo Crocker is a bright-eyed artist which much to say musically.

The compositions are the peak of elegance with much sophistication, and elements of grit that allude to the various elements to the shape of this music. Nice rhythm section, along with a balanced horn section.

From the interludes to the full-length pieces, the album is chocolate to a fat kid, and love to a lady.

A well produced and performed album that leaves others standing in its wake.

Such creative trumpet playing shows that Theo is going to be a 'jazz maestro' and others could well learn by listening to his technique. A well produced and performed album that leaves others standing in its wake.

One word, Outstanding!

One word, outstanding! This CD is the best thing I heard for a long time. Love the music, the arrangements made. Your great, keep on going. Your music will be on our playlist for a long time, because its timeless food for the mind.

This is one of the best straight jazz releases I have heard in a very long time.

This is one of the best straight jazz releases I have heard in a very long time. The tradition of hard bebop blowing is alive and well with Theo's band. All musicians play with technical skill and feeling that makes this a joy to listen too. The uptempo bop numbers are reminiscent of all the great players over the years from Parker, through Blakey's Jazz Messangers to toady. Equally impressive is the recording, matsering and production. A great cd that i will be featuring as cd of the week on my website and also playing heavily on my radio shows

Buy it, you will have no regret!

This CD is just great! Here on The Upper Room Radio Show, That is too good. For all music lovers, no excuse to not have this CD right now on your CD player. Buy it, you will have no regret!

This is an enjoyable tight package!

Trumpeter Theo Croker opens with a cool brass only layered tune. He has Stantman Kendrick (as), Andre Murchinson (tb), Ulysses "Bim" Owens (d), Sullivan Fortner (p) and Chris Mees (b) along with him. "With You" is a very warm relaxing song. "Blooze" has that lazy New Orleans blues theme complete with muted trumpet and an excellent solo from Mees. "The Fundamentals" brings it all together before the wrap with a bit of funk on "Left Sided" with Coker leading the charge. This is an enjoyable tight package!

21 years old, with talent to spare.

Theo Croker grew up in a musical family; jazz would seem to be coursing through his veins, a young trumpeter, 21 years old, with talent to spare. The debut album from this powerhouse trumpeter The Fundamentals is a musical treat, with ten songs of excitement, featuring trumpet, but sharing space, with a fine alto saxophone player and a trombone player, backed up by a tight rhythm section that has some inspirational moments. The album captures the sextet as they navigate through Croker's original tunes, some inspired playing in a hard bop base with overtones of blues, boogie-woogie piano, a bit of funk and comfortably swinging throughout. Young Mr. Croker is a talented trumpeter, leader, composer and arranger.

Croker is set to graduate in May of this year from Oberlin Conservatory, a musical and educational learning institution with a faculty that includes, Marcus Belgrave, Billy Hart, Gerry Bartz and Robin Eubanks, to name but a few of the maestros, overseeing the development of the future of contemporary jazz. I would expect nothing less than a good recording from their students, The Fundamentals is an excellent recording.

The first track is a tune entitled "Interlude One," sounds like a classical intermission, but it's a nice, short introduction of what is to come, with a trio of horns inviting the listener to take a seat, relax and enjoy. There is a classical feel to the song, a moderate tempo with ostinato phrasing, solo trumpet is joined by additional horns, adding trumpet tracks to the mix and creating a full brass ensemble. The opening to the title track "The Fundamentals" utilizes the same intro phrase.

One of the hi-light compositions "Focus" swings energetically. The song has some great trumpet breaks care of Croker, a nice alto saxophone break by Stantwan Kendrick, as well as a smooth trombone break by Andre Murchison. At the midway point of the song, a rousing bridge leads us to a piano break that finds Sullivan Fortner tickling the ivories in a subdued an delicate fashion, single note runs and minimal chords played in the high register. Drummer Ulysses "Bim" Owens takes the change in energy in stride, building the song back up to a dynamic drum solo and a full big band ending.

There will be two more interludes, nothing like the first one, other than they are short numbers, in the range of two to three minutes. The beauty of "Interlude Two" at just less than two minutes is it leads perfectly into "The Middle Passage" and a fantastic trumpet display. The composition starts out with a melodic and delicate piano phrase and is accompanied by bassist Chris Mees who plays col arco in a percussive style. The horns drift in and provide a melancholy background that lasts long enough to make an effect. A quick change in tempo and groove, a pulsating funky beat with trumpet reaching into the heavens, firing off amazing runs and reaching for some pass-out notes and repeating the staccato bursts of warm sounding notes that gently glide and slide back to the main melody with so much groove you can't help but be moved. This is a trumpet song, but it nicely fades to the intro melody and provides Mees with a pleasing pizzicato bass solo.

The recording has some nice ballads, some up-tempo hard driving hard bop styled tunes with excellent horn playing. A bluesy tune "Blooze" with some humorous lines, as in falling down slap stick muted trumpet manoeuvres and some ultra sensuous alto saxophone playing. Enough interludes to fill a recital hall and even a bit of syncopated funk or is it "Left Sided" jazz. Labels, only one label is necessary, this is a great first effort, highly recommended - Good Music.

Fantastic music

I really like the music. Heard about the CD from Bob Mees. Bought a copy for my son Cy who went to high school with Chris where they were in the jazz band together. Also bought a copy for their high school music director, Derek Spitzer. Keep up the good work.

Great! Great! Great!

Wonderful to listen to some exceptional music! Very entertaining.

This is Young Croker's Debut album. From the sound of

This is young Coker's (age 21) debut album and by the ound of this one, he has a bright future ahead. Currently a senior at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music (in Ohio),the trumpeter composed and arranged all 10 tracks. The music is fresh and rollicks in he straight-ahead jazz tradition. However, his interpretations move with an exciting flair. His tune "Blooze" is a throwback to the 1920's when blues ruled and any trumpeter who could maneuver a mute was worth his weight in gold. "With You" is a sweet ballad with croker's trumpet leading the pack on a serene journey.

His tight-knit sectet playing like jazz veterans includes: alto saxophonist Stantwan Kendrick, trombonist Andre Murchon, pianist Sullivan Fortner, basist Chris Mees and drummer Ulysses "Bim" Owens. No, the names aren't familiar like Croker, they are rising vanguards. "The Fundamentals gighlights trombonist Murchisonand Fortner, bth blazing with the backdrop of their astute band members. Perhaps the music gene runs in Croker's family; his gandfather was the great trumpeter Doc Cheatham.

"This record allows you to hear Theo's own musical identity."

"I am particularly close to the rapid development of the remarkable Theo Croker. I heard him play as a child within earshot of his illustrious grandfather, Doc Cheatham, and I heard him at age 11 playing at Doc's funeral. Now, I've worked with the grown-up Theo Croker in Jazz's birthplace, New Orleans, and on the stage of George's Wein's most illustrious festival. This record allows you to hear Theo's musical connection to Doc and Theo Croker's own musical identity."