Tho Croker’s DREAM MANIFEST at Barbican Hall, Barbican Centre, London.

Date: Saturday, February 15, 2025

Venue

Barbican Centre

Silk Street,
London.
EC2Y 8DS

More details

We have received the following press release regarding this event ;

Barbican announces line up for Theo Croker’s DREAM MANIFEST in February 2025

The Barbican and Brick Lane Jazz Festival today announce the line-up for Theo Croker’s DREAM MANIFEST – a unique evening led by the US-based trumpeter extraordinaire, and co-curated by acclaimed fashion designer Nicholas Daley. Joining Theo Croker for this very special collaboration at the Barbican is a star London line-up of: Ego Ella May, corto.alto, Theon Cross, Coby Sey, Sheila Maurice-Grey and Kassa Overall - as well as a core band of Idris Frederick (keys), Eric Wheeler (bass) and Miguel Marcel Russell (drums).

Ego Ella May is London born singer-songwriter who fuses neo-soul, jazz, and R&B musicality. She just released her project FIELDNOTES: COMPLETE and has worked with Croker several times including writing lyrics and providing backing vocals for Every Part Of Me featuring Ari Lennox, taking center stage on Somethin’ and co-starring on the 2023 EP release By The Way. This will be May and Croker’s live performance debut

corto.alto is a Glasgow-based musical group led by trombonist Liam Shortall, known for combining jazz with hip-hop, electronic, and funk elements

Theon Cross is a London-based tuba player renowned for his work with Sons of Kemet and his incorporation of Afrobeat, hip-hop, and grime

Coby Sey, a songwriter and producer from South-East London, is known for his unique blend of genres including hip-hop, jazz, grime, and ambient music

Sheila Maurice-Grey is a London trumpeter and composer associated with Kokoroko and who integrates jazz with Afrobeat and highlife

Kassa Overall is a New York-based jazz drummer and producer who blends jazz with hip-hop and electronic music

Fashion Designer Nicholas Daley has co-curated this performance with Theo Croker and will be supporting with wardrobe and styling showcasing his typically intricate interplay that weaves across music, fashion and culture (http://www.nicholasdaley.net)

Full details about the performance can be found below:

Theo Croker’s DREAM MANIFEST + special guests
Barbican x Brick Lane Jazz Festival
Saturday 15 February 2025, 8pm
Barbican Hall
Tickets from £20 plus booking fee

The Barbican and local friends Brick Lane Jazz Festival present DREAM MANIFEST, a unique evening led by US-based trumpeter extraordinaire Theo Croker, co-curated by acclaimed fashion designer Nicholas Daley. Bringing together an exploration of soundscapes, style and the global jazz community for a very special night, Theo Croker’s DREAM MANIFEST will see Croker joined on stage at the Barbican by a suite of special guests from the London and international jazz and wider music scenes in February 2025: Ego Ella May, corto.alto, Theon Cross, Coby Sey, Sheila Maurice-Grey and Kassa Overall.

A collaborative oratorio about imagination, DREAM MANIFEST explores the power to manifest in our universe. It is a sonic exploration that defies genre while being deeply rooted in tradition. This Barbican presentation of DREAM MANIFEST will also include a retrospective on Croker’s last two full length albums BLK2LIFE : A Future Past (Star People Nation, 2021) and Love Quantum (Star People Nation, 2022).

When performed live, DREAM MANIFEST also sees Croker add the role of DJ to his palette (in addition to the trumpet), performing and manipulating samples from the albums and reassembling elements of the band’s real-time performance to architect a sonic world live on stage.

Renowned for entrancing trumpet melodies and an innovative musical approach, Theo Croker is a standout figure in the contemporary music scene. The grandson of legendary trumpeter Doc Cheatham, Croker continues the legacy, collaborating with a diverse range of musicians, including the likes of Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ari Lennox, J. Cole, Jill Scott and Common, showcasing his versatility across jazz, hip hop, pop, and R&B landscapes.

Croker’s live performances command the stage with an infectious energy that captivates audiences globally. With a Grammy nomination, a memorable Tiny Desk performance, and three recent releases, BLK2LIFE: A Future Past, Love Quantum and Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XIII: Sketches of Miles, Croker continues to transcend genres, leaving an indelible mark on the evolving landscape of music with each resonant note.

Performers will include a core unit of Idris Frederick (keys), Eric Wheeler (bass), and Miguel Marcel Russell (drums). The performance will be supported with wardrobe and styling by Nicholas Daley renowned for his intricate interplay weaving across music, fashion and culture. (http://www.nicholasdaley.net).

Produced by the Barbican in association with Brick Lane Jazz Festival
Find out more
https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2025/event/theo-crokers-dream-manifest

About the Barbican
The Barbican is a catalyst for creativity, sparking possibilities for artists, audiences, and communities. We showcase the most exciting art from around the world, pushing traditional artistic boundaries to entertain and inspire millions of people, create connections, provoke debate, and reflect the world we live in.
We are an international arts and events centre rooted firmly in our own neighbourhood, collaborating with local communities and putting the City of London on the map as a destination for everybody. Central to our purpose is supporting emerging talent and shaping opportunities that will accelerate the next generation of creatives.
As a not-for-profit, we rely on the generosity of individuals and organisations, including our principal funder the City of London Corporation. Every ticket purchased, donation made, and pound earned supports our arts and learning programme and enables the widest possible range of people to experience the joy of the arts.
Opened in 1982, the Barbican is a unique and audacious building, recognised globally as an architectural icon. As well as our theatres, galleries, concert halls and cinemas, we have a large conservatory with over 1,500 species of plants and trees, a library, conference facilities, public and community spaces, restaurants, bars, and a picturesque lakeside oasis.
We’re proud to be the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, and a London base of the Royal Shakespeare Company. We regularly co-commission, produce and showcase the work of our other associates and partners including the Academy of Ancient Music, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Boy Blue, Cheek by Jowl, Darbar Festival, Doc’n Roll Film Festival, Drum Works, EFG London Jazz Festival, London Palestine Film Festival, Serious, and Trafalgar Theatre Productions.
For more information, visit our website or connect with us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify | LinkedIn
http://www.barbican.org.uk

About the Brick Lane Jazz Festival
Brick Lane Jazz Festival returns in 2025 for its fourth year from the 25 – 27 April 2025, with a genre-defying line-up that mirrors the vibrant convergence of London’s thriving underground music scenes. Having firmly established itself as a cornerstone of East London’s cultural landscape, the festival continues to grow, uncovering underground jazz gems while drawing in artists making the biggest waves on the UK scene, all set against the backdrop of some of the capital’s most renowned cultural hotspots.
All festival venues are within a short walk from the central hub at the iconic Truman Brewery space on Brick Lane, transforming the site and surrounding area into a vibrant hive of gig-hopping excitement for three days every April.  Focused on spotlighting emerging talent, the festival brings together artists from jazz, hip-hop, neo-soul, R&B, breakbeat, and electronic music, performing across ten iconic music venues on and around Brick Lane.
Tickets and more info at http://www.bricklanejazzfestival.com