Theo Croker
Encyclopedia
Theo Croker, Theodore Lee Croker (July 18, 1985, - ) is a jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader
from Leesburg, Florida. He attended Oberlin College
and is the grandson of Grammy Award winning trumpeter Doc Cheatham. He has produced 2 albums and is currently producing his third. Theo Croker has traveled extensively around the world to play jazz music and resides currently in Shanghai
where he plays regularly with his Sextet as the house band for Asia Uncut
, an Asia-wide English-language talk show that reaches over 120 million people in 53 countries across Asia
and the Middle East
produced by STAR World
.
, Donald Byrd
, Marcus Belgrave
, Gary Bartz
, Robin Eubanks
, Dan Wall, and Billy Hart
and several other well known jazz recording artists while studying for his degree at Oberlin College
. He received the Presser Music Foundation Award in 2007 which allowed him to finance his first album entitled The Fundamentals. He graduated from Oberlin College in 2007 and
promoted his first album which was well received. In 2009 he finished his second album, In The Tradition which received rave reviews from well known jazz writer and Village Voice editor Nat Hentoff
who compared his work to Count Basie
and Buck Clayton
.
In The Tradition Arbors Records with Joe Sanders-bass, Sullivan Fortner-piano, Albert "Tootie" Heath-drums, Benny Powell-trombone (7, 10)
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
from Leesburg, Florida. He attended Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
and is the grandson of Grammy Award winning trumpeter Doc Cheatham. He has produced 2 albums and is currently producing his third. Theo Croker has traveled extensively around the world to play jazz music and resides currently in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
where he plays regularly with his Sextet as the house band for Asia Uncut
Asia Uncut
Asia Uncut is a variety chat show hosted by Jon Niermann, the president of Electronic Arts, Asia. The show premiered in March 2009 and is aired in many countries via STAR World....
, an Asia-wide English-language talk show that reaches over 120 million people in 53 countries across Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
produced by STAR World
STAR World
STAR World is an Asian English language cable and satellite television network owned by Star TV and Fox International Channels, fully owned subsidiaries of News Corporation. The channel is the successor of STAR Plus, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
.
Early life
Theo Croker was exposed to jazz music early in life as the grandson of a jazz legend. He attended Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, Florida and attended Oberlin College in 2003. He graduated from Oberlin in 2007 and soon released his first album. Croker studied under legendary jazz musicians during his stay at Oberlin College. He studied under jazz musicians Wendell LoganWendell Logan
Wendell Morris Logan was an American jazz and concert music composer who created the jazz department at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music....
, Donald Byrd
Donald Byrd
Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II, is an American jazz and rhythm and blues trumpeter. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd is best known as one of the only bebop jazz musicians who successfully pioneered the funk and soul genres while simultaneously remaining a...
, Marcus Belgrave
Marcus Belgrave
Marcus Belgrave is a jazz trumpet player from Detroit, born in Chester, Pennsylvania. He has recorded with a variety of famous musicians, bandleaders, and record labels since the 1950s. Notable among them are: Ray Charles, Charles Mingus, Gunther Schuller, Motown Records, Tribe Records, Blue Note...
, Gary Bartz
Gary Bartz
Gary Bartz is an American alto and soprano saxophonist and clarinetist.Bartz graduated from the Baltimore City College high school and The Juilliard School...
, Robin Eubanks
Robin Eubanks
Robin Eubanks is an American jazz and jazz fusion slide trombonist, the brother of guitarist Kevin Eubanks and trumpeter Duane Eubanks.-Biography:...
, Dan Wall, and Billy Hart
Billy Hart
William "Billy" Hart is a jazz drummer and educator who has performed with some of the most important jazz musicians in history.-Biography:Early on Hart performed in Washington, D.C...
and several other well known jazz recording artists while studying for his degree at Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
. He received the Presser Music Foundation Award in 2007 which allowed him to finance his first album entitled The Fundamentals. He graduated from Oberlin College in 2007 and
promoted his first album which was well received. In 2009 he finished his second album, In The Tradition which received rave reviews from well known jazz writer and Village Voice editor Nat Hentoff
Nat Hentoff
Nathan Irving "Nat" Hentoff is an American historian, novelist, jazz and country music critic, and syndicated columnist for United Media and writes regularly on jazz and country music for The Wall Street Journal....
who compared his work to Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
and Buck Clayton
Buck Clayton
Buck Clayton was an American jazz trumpet player who was a leading member of Count Basie’s "Old Testament" orchestra and a leader of mainstream-oriented jam session recordings in the 1950s. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong...
.
Discography
The Fundamentals Copyright-Left Sided Music (837101279611) Record Label: Left Sided Music with Stantwan Kendrick-alto saxophone, Andre Murchison-trombone, Sullivan Fortner-piano, Chris Mees-bass, Ulysses "Bim" Owens-drumsIn The Tradition Arbors Records with Joe Sanders-bass, Sullivan Fortner-piano, Albert "Tootie" Heath-drums, Benny Powell-trombone (7, 10)