The Crusaders
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- This article is about the American jazz group. For other uses, see Crusade (disambiguation).
The Crusaders are an American music group popular in the early 1970s known for their amalgamated jazz, pop and soul sound. Since 1961, more than forty albums have been credited to the group (some live and compilations), 19 of which were recorded under the name "The Jazz Crusaders" (1961–1970).
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[edit] History
In 1960, following the demise of a few short-lived Houston-based groups, pianist Joe Sample, drummer Stix Hooper, saxophonist Wilton Felder and trombonist Wayne Henderson relocated to Los Angeles, CA. After changing their name to "The Jazz Crusaders," the group signed with Pacific Jazz Records, where they would remain throughout the 1960s. Employing a two-manned front-line horn section (trombone and tenor saxophone), the group's sound was rooted in hard bop, with an emphasis on R&B and soul.
[edit] From Jazz Crusaders to The Crusaders
The group shortened their name to "The Crusaders" in 1971, and adopted a jazz-funk style, which really ushered in the genre which came to be known as "jazz fusion". They also incorporated the electric bass and electric guitar into their music. Guitarist Larry Carlton became a member, and was featured prominently on the group's albums throughout most of the 1970s. With this new style came increased crossover appeal, and the group's albums started to appear on the Billboard pop charts. The height of the group's commercial success came with 1979's Street Life, which peaked at #18 on the pop charts.
In 1975, following the release of their 28th album (ninth as "The Crusaders"), Henderson left the group to pursue a full-time career as a producer. His departure created a void, permanently changing the character of the group. Another founding member, Hooper, left the group in 1983, thus signaling the end to the group's most popular period. Three more albums were recorded in the mid 1980s, however by the 1990s, "The Crusaders", for the most part, disbanded with a rather comprehensive discography behind them.
[edit] Revivals
In 1991, The Crusaders (with Sample and Felder the only original members present) released Healing the Wounds. The album peaked at #1 on the Top Contemporary Jazz chart and #174 on the Billboard 200. The group did not release any more albums during the decade, as Sample focused on a solo career.
Henderson, who had left the group in 1975, revived the "Jazz Crusaders" moniker (despite Sample's objections) for 1995's Happy Again. The lineup for Happy Again included founding member Wilton Felder and former Crusaders guitarist Larry Carlton. The new Jazz Crusaders released a series of recordings in the late 1990s, but the music bore little resemblance to the acoustic, hard bop style of the original group.
In 2003, founding members Sample, Felder and Hooper revived The Crusaders and released Rural Renewal. Ray Parker Jr. and Eric Clapton played guitar on the album. That same year, the Henderson-led Jazz Crusaders released Soul Axess.
[edit] Discography
[edit] The Jazz Crusaders
| Year | Title | Type | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Freedom Sound | Studio | Pacific Jazz |
| 1962 | Lookin' Ahead | Studio | Pacific Jazz |
| 1962 | The Jazz Crusaders at the Lighthouse | Live | Pacific Jazz |
| 1963 | Tough Talk | Studio | Pacific Jazz |
| 1964 | Heat Wave | Studio | Pacific Jazz |
| 1964 | Stretchin' Out | Studio | Pacific Jazz |
| 1965 | Chile con Soul | Studio | Pacific Jazz |
| 1965 | The Thing | Studio | Pacific Jazz |
| 1966 | Live at the Lighthouse '66 | Live | Pacific Jazz |
| 1966 | The Festival Album | Live | Pacific Jazz |
| 1967 | Talk That Talk | Studio | Pacific Jazz |
| 1967 | Uh Huh | Studio | Pacific Jazz |
| 1968 | Lighthouse '68 | Live | Pacific Jazz |
| 1969 | Powerhouse | Studio | Pacific Jazz |
| 1969 | Lighthouse '69 | Live | Pacific Jazz |
| 1970 | Give Peace a Chance | Studio | Liberty |
| 1970 | Old Socks, New Shoes | Chisa | |
| 1995 | Happy Again | Studio | Sin-drome |
| 1996 | Louisiana Hot Sauce | Studio | Sin-drome |
| 2003 | Soul Axess | Studio | True Life |
| 2005 | The Pacific Jazz Quintet Studio Sessions | Compilation | Mosaic |
| 2006 | Alive in South Africa | Live | True Life |
| 2006 | At the Lighthouse | Live | Blue Note |
[edit] The Crusaders
| Year | Title | Type | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Pass the Plate | Studio | Chisa |
| 1971 | 1 | Studio | Blue Thumb |
| 1972 | The 2nd Crusade | Studio | Blue Thumb |
| 1973 | Unsung Heroes | Studio | Blue Thumb |
| 1972 | Hollywood | Studio | MoWest |
| 1974 | Scratch | Live | Blue Thumb |
| 1974 | Southern Comfort | Studio | Blue Thumb |
| 1975 | Chain Reaction | Studio | Blue Thumb |
| 1976 | Those Southern Knights | Studio | Blue Thumb |
| 1977 | Free as the Wind | Studio | Blue Thumb |
| 1978 | Images | Studio | Blue Thumb |
| 1979 | Street Life | Studio | MCA |
| 1980 | Rhapsody and Blues | Studio | MCA |
| 1980 | Standing Tall | Studio | MCA |
| 1982 | Royal Jam | Live | MCA |
| 1984 | Ghetto Blaster | Studio | MCA |
| 1986 | The Good And The Bad Times | Studio | MCA |
| 1988 | Life in the Modern World | Studio | MCA |
| 1991 | Healing the Wounds | Studio | GRP |
| 2000 | The Crusaders' Finest Hour | Compilation | Verve |
| 2003 | Rural Renewal | Studio | PRA/Verve |
| 2003 | Groove Crusade | Compilation | Blue Thumb |
