THEO CROKER

Theo Croker is a storyteller who speaks through his trumpet. A creative who refuses boundaries, the GRAMMY®️ Award-nominated artist, composer, producer, thought leader, and influencer projects his voice through the music.

With the albums "BLK2LIFE II A Future Past" (2021), "Love Quantum" (2022) and the EP "By The Way" (2023) he has musically reappraised an important part of the origin, present and future of black music culture in the USA. Theo Croker is at the forefront of a young generation of African-American jazz musicians who are shedding new light on the musical legacy and formative cultural achievements of their predecessors, confidently reassessing their contribution to the development of US music and leaving traditional genre boundaries behind.

Gospel, blues, jazz, soul, funk: Theo Croker emphasises the musical-historical similarities of all these genres and transforms them into a new, contemporary sound. On a meta level, he connects these trends with the positive creative power of love, which makes it possible to create new worlds of experience and realities against all odds: "Love Quantum is also a tribute to all the different levels of love that can exist - love for a friend, love for a partner, love for a parent, love for yourself and love for life. It's about how powerful this energy is for us as human beings.”

The evening will be opened by Brekky Boy. The electro-psychedelic jazz trio from Sydney prefers to play in jazz bars and on mountain peaks. With influences from artists such as Tigran Hamasyan, GoGo Penguin, Robert Glasper and Phronesis, the ensemble has developed a vibrant, original sound that incorporates elements of jazz, rock, minimal and folk. Brekky Boy are one of the most exciting young acts on the Australian jazz and instrumental scene. Having given up their original dream of competing in the World Surf League, the Sydney beach-based musicians have been nominated for the Montreux Jazz Award, supported bands such as Snarky Puppy and played at numerous international jazz festivals. The trio has remained completely independent to this day and released their fourth EP ‘Seita’ in 2023.

“Lyrical melodies, hard-hitting polyrhythms, EST/Tigran-style progressive
grooves and no shortage of Aussie humour…” - Jazzwise

Photos: Obidigbo Nzeribe