Croker, Theo / Escape Velocity
| Album: | Escape Velocity | Collection: | Jazz | |
| Artist: | Croker, Theo | Added: | Mar 2017 | |
| Label: | Okeh | |||
A-File Activity
| Add Date: | 2017-04-19 | Pull Date: | 2017-06-21 | Charts: | Jazz |
|---|
| Week Ending: | Jun 18 | Jun 11 | Jun 4 | May 28 | May 21 | May 14 | Apr 23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airplays: | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Recent Airplay
| 1. | Jun 16, 2017: | Rebop
Meditations, A Call To The Ancestors, The Right Time |
4. | May 26, 2017: | Rebop
Transcend, Raise Your Vibrations |
|
| 2. | Jun 09, 2017: | Rebop
Transcend, Raise Your Vibrations |
5. | May 19, 2017: | Rebop
It's Gonna Be Alright |
|
| 3. | Jun 02, 2017: | Rebop
It's Gonna Be Alright |
6. | May 12, 2017: | Rebop
Transcend, Raise Your Vibrations |
Album Review
Be Sharp
Reviewed 2017-03-20
Reviewed 2017-03-20
CONTEMPORARY SOUL/FUNK JAZZ
Trumpeter Theo Croker’s fourth album is outstanding with good melodies and lush, dense textures throughout. Accompanying instruments include electric piano, organ and synth; winds (usually alto sax, sometimes flute, bass clarinet); guitar; bass & drums. All good. Singer Dee Dee Bridgewater guests on #13.
No FCC issues.
1 * Slow. Blast off with cymbal crashes (!), a trumpet fanfare, spacey synths, and spoken word. Spiritual lyric. Drums roll continuously into track #2. (2:04)
2 ** Mid-tempo. Trumpet leads with a soaring, sometimes punctuated melody. (3:53)
3 Mid-fast. Lively with a bit of R&B. Nice alto sax solo. (4:46)
4 ** Very fast; very energetic. Powerful trumpet; some effects; syncopated rhythms. (3:30)
5 Slow. Uncredited spoken words. Easy-going, legato melody. Bass clarinet ends it. (3:53)
6 ** Very fast. Big ensemble sound. Maybe a bit Latin. Impressive trumpet solo. (2:51)
7 Mid-tempo. African spoken intro. Trumpet, noises, African percussion. Interesting. (2:01)
8 * Vary fast. More straight-forward. Leads by trumpet, alto sax, piano, elec guitar. (5:07)
9 Very fast; high energy. Breathing sounds. Big solos by organ & tenor sax. (5:01)
10 ** Fast. Catchy, happy melody. Fun, uplifting vocal chant. (3:24)
11 Slow breathy ballad for half; midway shifts gears into big anthem; finishes soft. (4:54)
12 Mid-tempo. Cool percussion. Sonically muddy. (2:32)
13 * Dee Dee reprises soulful tune she did with Norman Connors in ’73. Faster now. (4:28)
14 * Mid-tempo. Little theme on trumpet; then full-scale funk with organ, horns, etc. (4:30)
15 Slow. Peaceful, quiet benediction to wrap up. Just trumpet & acoustic piano. (2:08)
Trumpeter Theo Croker’s fourth album is outstanding with good melodies and lush, dense textures throughout. Accompanying instruments include electric piano, organ and synth; winds (usually alto sax, sometimes flute, bass clarinet); guitar; bass & drums. All good. Singer Dee Dee Bridgewater guests on #13.
No FCC issues.
1 * Slow. Blast off with cymbal crashes (!), a trumpet fanfare, spacey synths, and spoken word. Spiritual lyric. Drums roll continuously into track #2. (2:04)
2 ** Mid-tempo. Trumpet leads with a soaring, sometimes punctuated melody. (3:53)
3 Mid-fast. Lively with a bit of R&B. Nice alto sax solo. (4:46)
4 ** Very fast; very energetic. Powerful trumpet; some effects; syncopated rhythms. (3:30)
5 Slow. Uncredited spoken words. Easy-going, legato melody. Bass clarinet ends it. (3:53)
6 ** Very fast. Big ensemble sound. Maybe a bit Latin. Impressive trumpet solo. (2:51)
7 Mid-tempo. African spoken intro. Trumpet, noises, African percussion. Interesting. (2:01)
8 * Vary fast. More straight-forward. Leads by trumpet, alto sax, piano, elec guitar. (5:07)
9 Very fast; high energy. Breathing sounds. Big solos by organ & tenor sax. (5:01)
10 ** Fast. Catchy, happy melody. Fun, uplifting vocal chant. (3:24)
11 Slow breathy ballad for half; midway shifts gears into big anthem; finishes soft. (4:54)
12 Mid-tempo. Cool percussion. Sonically muddy. (2:32)
13 * Dee Dee reprises soulful tune she did with Norman Connors in ’73. Faster now. (4:28)
14 * Mid-tempo. Little theme on trumpet; then full-scale funk with organ, horns, etc. (4:30)
15 Slow. Peaceful, quiet benediction to wrap up. Just trumpet & acoustic piano. (2:08)
Track Listing
| 1. | Raise Your Vibrations | 8. | Meditations | |||
| 2. | Transcend | 9. | We Can't Breathe | |||
| 3. | This Could Be | 10. | It's Gonna Be Alright | |||
| 4. | In Orbit | 11. | Because Of You | |||
| 5. | No Escape From Bliss | 12. | Real Episode | |||
| 6. | The Right Time | 13. | Love From The Sun | |||
| 7. | A Call To The Ancestors | 14. | Changes | |||
| 15. | Rahspect (Amen) | |||||