Theo Croker actually has a pretty good pedigree for his career as a trumpet player, being the grandson of hall of famer Doc Cheatham. This album isn’t swing or mainstream, though, Croker does give homage to the jazz traditions of bop, fusion and latin jazz on this excellent first album on Okeh.
The sounds are sort of a funky mix of early 70s Miles Davis and vintage CTI Freddie Hubbard. He displays his clear and clean tone on the solo “Alapa” but then gets down to business with a sassy B3 and band on the heavy back beat-laden “Realize” and dramatic and hard hitting “Light Skinned Beauty.” His muted horn glides over the latin percussion and flute on the grooving “It’s Not You, It’s Me” while he teams up with vibe master Stefon Harris on the glistening ballad “Visions.” Trumpeter Roy Hargrove brings some CTI grooves and feel as he teams up on “Roy Allan,” but it’s Dee Dee Bridgewater that almost steals the show. She coos with delight on the upbeat R&B-sh “save Your Love For Me” and gets cozy on “Moody’s Mood For Love.” The frenetic “I Can’t Help It” has both Croker and Bridgewater bubbling with delight, making this whole disc an enjoyable modern jazz feast of soul food.
Okeh Records