Theo Croker

Nicholas Payton is a trumpeter and composer, Buster Williams is a bassist, and Lenny White is a drummer, all prominent figures in the jazz genre, often collaborating in various musical projects.

The Bill Charlap Trio is a jazz ensemble led by pianist Bill Charlap, known for its interpretations of jazz standards and original compositions.

Nicholas Payton is a New Orleans–raised trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist whose work moves between straight-ahead jazz and broader American song forms. A Grammy Award winner, he is also known as a public writer, using essays and commentary to address music alongside race, politics, and everyday life.

Buster Williams is a jazz bassist whose long career moves between small-group swing, post-bop, and modern electric ensembles. He came into wide view in the early 1970s as part of Herbie Hancock’s band, and later became a steady presence alongside artists such as Larry Coryell and the Thelonious Monk repertory group Sphere.

Lenny White is an American drummer whose work helped define the contours of jazz fusion in the 1970s, including his tenure with Chick Corea’s Return to Forever. He moves easily between electric-era propulsion and the elastic time feel of straight-ahead jazz.

Theo Croker is a jazz trumpeter who also works as a composer, producer, and vocalist, moving between bandstand tradition and studio-driven craft. He has drawn national attention through major award nominations and a Theodore Presser Award, and his résumé includes collaborations with Nicholas Payton, Buster Williams, Lenny White, and the Cyrus Chestnut Trio, including appearances with vocalist Carla Cook.