On Continuance, his seventh album as a leader, the Bali, Indonesia-born pianist, composer, and bandleader Joey Alexander has far surpassed his earlier incarnations: he’s now comfortable in his new identity as a composer-pianist of fertile imagination and emotional depth.
Since a tender age, Joey has been widely regarded as one of the most highly skilled pianists and thoughtful improvisers in jazz. Continuance, however, presents him primarily as a composer of haunting chamber jazz who leads an ensemble with its own point of view. Continuance shows his writing and playing have continued to deepen. The album, which contains five new originals and two memorable covers, firmly establishes the young maestro’s compositional approach, based on modern jazz riffs and genreless grooves, with moody, hooky melodies and dazzling solos.
Talking about his growth as a composer, Joey cites inspirations from outside the jazz world, including Ennio Morricone, John Mayer, Burt Bacharach, and, perhaps surprisingly, even Bonnie Raitt.
Over the course of his astonishing career, Alexander has performed with Wayne Shorter and Esperanza Spalding at the Obama White House, for President Bill Clinton at the Arthur Ashe Learning Center Gala, at the Grand Ole Opry, the Apollo Theater, Carnegie Hall, and at major jazz festivals and nightclubs around the world with top-shelf collaborators like Larry Grenadier, Kendrick Scott, Chris Potter and many others. He has also been the subject of profiles on 60 Minutes and The New York Times.
Theo Croker is a storyteller who speaks through his trumpet. The 39-year-old trumpeter-composer has been a Grammy nominee in the jazz fields; he played all the great jazz venues around the world; he was mentored by Donald Byrd at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he graduated with a degree in jazz music; and Dee Dee Bridgewater produced his third album, “Afro Physicist,” which features fellow trumpeter Roy Hargrove.
"Trumpeter Theo Croker exudes an unmistakable air of chill, an easy smile on display. That chill is the result of a clear musical approach and determination that dates back to Croker's teenage days forming big bands and fearlessly pushing the bounds of the music played by his grandfather, trumpeter Doc Cheatham. Mentored by Donald Byrd at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music,Theo’s reach includes collaborations with a variety of musicians: vocalists Ari Lennox and Jill Scott, rappers J. Cole and Wyclef Jean, and mentors including NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater and saxophonist Gary Bartz. Croker's latest few albums, LOVE QUANTUM and BLK2LIFE // A FUTURE PAST, and BY THE WAY showcases Croker's journey as a trumpeter, composer and producer in expanding the music commonly known as jazz with hip-hop, R&B and electronic sounds." – Mitra I. Arthur for NPR
“It’s that eclecticism and adventurous spirit that propels Croker’s excellent upcoming Dream Manifest album, due June 13, 2025. For his eighth album, Croker let the full scope of his imagination wander. “This album is a fantasy album. I’m manifesting my dreams. It’s like you’re reading my dream journal,” he says. “This is me putting myself inside of a fantasy and really trying to let go of any type of boundaries or borders that constrict my creativity.” – Los Angeles Times
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