Having embraced an ever-more contemporary space-funk vibe, trumpeter
Theo Croker offers his most languid, R&B-infused production to date with 2021's
BLK2LIFE || A FUTURE PAST. The album picks up on the Afro-futurist grooves of 2019's
Star People Nation as
Croker crafts a loosely conceptual atmosphere centered on themes of Black identity, reclamation of culture and ancestry, and pushing ever higher toward an enlightened future. It's a sound that's admittedly far afield of the acoustic post-bop that marked much of 2014's
Afro Physicist, but one which feels like a natural extension of the '70s-inspired funk, fusion, and hip-hop that he's explored since. While hypnotic jazz-fusion and R&B are at the core of
Croker's sound here, this is also one of his most pop-oriented albums, and cuts like the title track and "Happy Feet (For Dancers)," featuring singer Malaya, marry his warm trumpet lines with an infectious blend of electronic and analog rhythms. Helping
Croker elevate his cross-pollinated sound are a handful of special guests, including
Wyclef Jean, who outlines
Croker's worldview on "State of the Union 444 || Blk2thefuture," rapping, "If you really wanna help build generational wealth, the best help is to help the people help themselves." Equally potent sentiments arrive via vocalist
Ari Lennox on the effervescent ballad "Every Part of Me" and vocalist
Iman Omari on the lucid, tropical dreamscape "No More Maybe." We also get vibrant contributions from saxophonist
Gary Bartz, drummer/vocalist
Kassa Overall, and singer
Charlotte Dos Santos. With
BLK2LIFE || A FUTURE PAST,
Croker underlines his reputation as a jazz world builder, bridging new age space-jazz and hooky, contemporary R&B. ~ Matt Collar