Theo Croker "Dream Manifest" at Jazz en Tête Festival

Acclaimed trumpeter and composer Theo Croker delivers a brilliant, multi-faceted performance at La Maison de la Culture in Clermont-Ferrand, showcasing tracks from his boundary-pushing album Dream Manifest. Infusing his formal jazz upbringing with layers of hip-hop, neo-soul, and house music, Croker updates the classic electric concepts of seventies-era Miles Davis for a modern generation. While leading the proceedings with his silky, expressive trumpet lines, Croker is equally active behind a table of laptops, effects pedals, and mixing boards, wrapping the venue in a deep electronic fog of samples and spoken word. Backed by a high-energy band featuring keyboardist Idris Frederick, dynamic drummer Jon Onabowu, and veteran bassist Eric Wheeler, the ensemble creates a swirling, trance-inducing soundworld that peaks with the hypnotic closing number Hero Stomp, captured beautifully by lively, cinematic camera work.