Trumpeter Theo Croker’s recent releases present his fluency and warmth as appealing flavours in a bed of studio-crafted hip-hop and R&B. Jazz is in the mix, but mostly limited to a few brooding phrases and occasional pithy bursts. Sullivan Fortner remains best known for his immaculate piano accompaniment and wide stylistic range — collaborators include Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon and vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant. The two now combine for Play: an exquisite, jazz-rich, equal-partners trumpet/piano duet that showcases their superb sonic control and grasp of mood.
The original project, based on a selection of covers, was recorded, and discarded, all in the same day. “It felt very stale,” said Croker, or in Fortner’s words “more like being in school”.

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