THEO CROKER DEBUTS NEW TRACK FEATURING JILL SCOTT “TO BE WE” OUT NOW AND ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM AVAILABLE JUNE 24 LOVE QUANTUM
THEO CROKER today debuts “TO BE WE,” his new collaboration with platinum-selling artist JILL SCOTT and the second single from his seventh studio album LOVE QUANTUM. “TO BE WE” features lyrics written and performed by Scott, whose sultry, spoken word narrative is underpinned by Croker’s dreamy soundscape of muted textures, distorted vibraphones and gentle reminders from his horn. “TO BE WE” sets the stage for the June 24release of Croker’s forthcoming album LOVE QUANTUM, as Scott’s exploration of love and the divine feminine resonates throughout the 11-track collection – listen here. Watch the accompanying music video here.
Of the track, Croker reveals, “This is my favorite song on the album because it features my all-time favorite singer, Jill Scott. I never knew she was a fan of my music until we met in person, and I’m still in shock about it. I wanted to create a song that gave Jill a theatrical landscape to tell the story of love from a divinely feminine perspective. And I couldn’t think of a more divinely feminine woman than Jill Scott. The track has a lot of very cinematic qualities to it, both in terms of the sound and the depth of it, but Jill Scott’s wordplay and storytelling make you feel part of her universe and her story.”
The seventh studio album from Croker since his 2007 debut, LOVE QUANTUMis the latest in the consummate artist and creator’s journey of self-exploration through storytelling. Arriving Friday, June 24 and available to preorder now from Star People Nation / Sony Music Masterworks, the album finds Croker making his first-ever foray into the concept of love, once again inviting listeners on a genre-defying journey across time and space in discovery of the self and our shared human experience.
LOVE QUANTUM was initially introduced with lead single “JAZZ IS DEAD,” in part an ode to Croker’s love of the many influences, forms and styles encompassing “jazz” as well as incendiary commentary on the inadequacy of a single word to capture the breadth of the genre’s rich tradition – listen here. Featuring Gary Bartz and Kassa Overall, the track is one of the many collaborative efforts on LOVE QUANTUM, which features contributions from instrumentalists and vocalists across genres and generations. Joining Croker across the album’s 11 tracks are Jill Scott, Jamila Woods, Wyclef Jean, Ego Ella May, Teedra Moses, Chris Dave, Gary Bartz, James Tillman and Kassa Overall, each of which imbue LOVE QUANTUM with personal narratives giving testament to love in all its various forms.
Of the album, Croker concludes, “It’s a love story. It’s a tribute to all the different levels of love that can exist – love of a friend, love of a partner, love of a parent, love of yourself and a love of life. It’s really about the journey of love, the experience of it, and how powerful that energy is for us as human beings.”
ABOUT THEO CROKER
Theo Croker is a storyteller who speaks through his trumpet. A creative who refuses boundaries, the GRAMMY®️-nominated artist, composer, producer, influencer and thought leader projects his singular voice through music. Croker first debuted his simmering original sound in 2014 on the Dee Dee Bridgewater-assisted AfroPhysicist, returning two years later with 2016’s follow-up Escape Velocity, lauded by the Wall Street Journal as “timeless and of-the-moment.” He once again reached new heights with 2019’s Star People Nation, attracting widespread critical acclaim and garnering his first-ever GRAMMY® nomination for “Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.” In addition to his music being featured in television shows (HBO’s Insecure) and films (The Photograph), Croker has also lent his talents to platinum-selling albums by J. Cole, Ari Lennox, Common and more, all while touring with his band at venues across the globe. The year 2020 returned Croker to his childhood home in Florida, where he wrote and recorded his sixth full-length album BLK2LIFE || A FUTURE PAST, a star-studded effort featuring contributions from Wyclef Jean, Ari Lennox, Gary Bartz, Charlotte Dos Santos, Iman Omari, Malaya, and Kassa Overall. Lauded as a “smoldering neo-jazz collection” by The New York Times and “a vital experience” by CLASH, the album yet again propelled Croker to new heights, including his late-night television debut with a performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert alongside Wyclef Jean. Croker now starts yet another chapter in his constant evolution as an artist, returning with his seventh studio album LOVE QUANTUM, set for release June 24 via Star People Nation / Sony Music Masterworks.
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