The Crusaders: A Retrospective

With the esteemed jazz/funk/fusion band the Crusaders as a guide, one could trace the rise and fall of commercial jazz in all in many of its permutations. The core group that is the most recognized was founded in Texas and comprised Joe Sample (piano), Wilton Felder (tenor sax and bass), Stix Hooper (drums) and Wayne Henderson (trombone.) In the early days, the then Jazz Crusaders fashioned a studious, hard-bop sound on the label World Pacific that appeared on songs like "Young Rabbits," the '60s standard "Love and Peace" and on albums like Freedom Sound, Live at the Lighthouse '66 and Powerhouse.

Near the end of their World Pacific run, the group started to do more pop material like covers of "Promises, Promises," "Upstairs" and "Eleanor Rigby." 1968-69 found the band members doing their first outside projects. Joe Sample released the Joe Sample Trio and their 1969 Sonnet album Try Us. Wilton Felder released the quintessentially late '60s groovy Bullit which was produced by Crusaders member Wayne Henderson.



In 1970, the band signed with Chisa Records, Motown's '60s and early '70s jazz label. Chisa Records founder Stewart Levine signed as their producer and helped architect their new sound. It was during this era when their sound filled with clavinets, fuzz-guitars and polyrhythmic backbeats on the albums Pass the Plate and Old Socks New Shoes. By 1971, the Jazz Crusaders changed their name to the Crusaders and they reinvented themselves, simplifying their style and further applied assiduous production techniques. The band signed to Blue Thumb 1971 and released essentials like 1, and The 2nd Crusade.

At this point, The Crusaders were known as an emerging singles act with "Put It Where You Want It"—as well as doing great albums tracks like "Message From the Inner City," "A Search For Soul" and "Shades of Blues." 1973's Unsung Heroes was the prototypical, transition album and included a gossamer 2:49 minute take on their classic, "Freedom Sound."

Blue Thumb Records left Gulf & Western/Famous Music to get into a deal with ABC Records. ABC was at the time a popular, commercial label with burgeoning stars like Steely Dan and Rufus signed on the roster. In 1974, the band added talented session guitarist Larry Carlton as a member. Carlton's proficiency and tacit, sunny LA vibe by way of his stinging guitar lines made him a full component of the Crusaders mid to late '70s sound. Good to great albums like Southern Comfort and Chain Reaction have a certain mellifluousness and joy that outstripped many players who were doing commercial jazz during that time. During this era bassist Max Bennett (LA Express) was used in live performances like on Scratch.



The Crusaders' sounds seemed to pervade outside of the band as well. Joe Sample and Larry Carlton were also members of the first edition of Tom Scott's LA Express. Crusaders producer Stewart Levine produced Minnie Riperton's Adventures in Paradise and Sample and Carlton appeared (Carlton also arranged and conducted.) The Crusaders also appeared on 1975 titles Joni Mitchell's The Hissing Of Summer Lawns as well as Michael Franks's The Art Of Tea.

With Carlton signed on, this lineup seemed to get a lot of play. They made appearances at Zaire '74 (Crusaders Stewart Levine was the co-creator), Don Kirshner Rock Concert and did a live set at Soul Train. In 1976, ABC Records/Blue Thumb offered a two albums best of that included much loved Crusaders classics like "Don't Let It Get You Down" and the live version of Carole King's "So Far Away."



In 1976 bassist Robert "Pops" Popwell was added as a member and they released Southern Knights. The band arguably hit a stylistic peak with tracks like the playful and funky "Keep That Same Old Feeling" and the gorgeous and meditative "Serenity." Long-time member and co-founder Wayne Henderson left the group and further explored his production career which included acts like Ronnie Laws, Side Effect and Bobby Lyle. The loss of Henderson seemed to cause the first fissure in the sound. The band appeared at Montreux in July 1976 and fans saw a still uniquely talented lineup, but a different one. Without Henderson and the collective sound of Henderson's trombone and Wilton Felder's saxophone in unison, a certain cultural shorthand and musical language was lost. Guitarist Larry Carlton was next to leave after 1977's Free as The Wind.



It was at this point the members of the Crusaders ventured into solo work. Joe Sample immediately notched two classics, Rainbow Seeker and Carmel. Both efforts employed intricate, acoustic piano based melodies that were arguably better than what the concurrent Crusaders work offered. 1978's Images found them soldiering on as a quintet with new guitarist Billy Rogers. Although the album as a whole didn't hold together, tracks like "Marcella's Dream" and "Fairy Tales" have some of the old spark.

The other Crusaders fared less well. Wilton Felder turned in We All Have A Star and Infinity Within but they met with mixed results. Stix Hooper released The World Within and they didn't fare well either. In 1979 ABC Records was sold to MCA and the Crusaders received an aggressive reissue campaign that kept their '71-'78 titles in print, on the shelves and later on compact disc.

By 1980 former member Wayne Henderson's production duties ground to a halt as he spent '79-'80 doing two duet albums with Roy Ayers, first Step Into Our Lives and the even better Prime Time.

In 1979, the band (now a trio of Hooper, Sample and Felder) released the massive Street Life. The glossy title track featured the vocals of Randy Crawford and it was an across-the-board hit. Longtime producer Levine had exited by this point and the remaining group members all got production credit as Crusaders Productions. Around the same time, Crusaders Productions formed a relationship with B.B. King they appeared on his titles Midnight Believer, Take it Home and the 1982 live Crusaders effort Royal Jam.



Despite the honking soul ballads, night stepping and clever grooves, for some, the Crusaders had descended into another grinding wheel. Albums like 1981's Standing Tall and 1983's Rhapsody and the Blues were filled with well-worn themes and sounds. By 1984, drummer Stix Hopper left the fold and was replaced by Leon "Ndugu" Chancler. The roster change did little to improve the group's fortunes. In 1984, Ghetto Blaster was released and featured tracks like "Gotta Lot of Shaklada" bearing little of the aural earmarks that made the group so famous.

In 1986's Good Times, Bad Times seemed to be better but by the early '90s, the Crusaders needed to rest. 1991's Healing the Wounds found them continuing to lose their trademark sound under commercial considerations and the impersonal production values of the day. At the same time however Sample in particular still was making good solo albums under his own name. By 1989 Sample had signed to Warner Brothers for esteemed titles like 1989's Spellbound and Ashes To Ashes from 1991. Sample remained signed to Warner Brothers until 1999 until he signed to GRP. The GRP stint resulted in a well-received album with vocalist Lalah Hathaway. Sample's other later labels include Verve, PRA and Motown/Soulbird.

By 1995, old wounds began to resurface and a bit of legal trouble appeared. Wilton Felder and Wayne Henderson reunited as the Jazz Crusaders and released the CD's Happy Again, Louisiana Hot Sauce and Break'n Da Rulz! These albums weren't blockbusters but listeners got to hear a more representative program with the added bonus of Felder and Henderson playing together again.



In 2003, the Crusaders (Felder, Sample and a returned Stix Hooper reconvened for the roosty Rural Renewal which featured a musical return to their earthy '70s sound. By 2010 however Wayne Henderson, Joe Sample and Wilton Felder reunited and toured together as the Jazz Crusaders. Sadly Wayne Henderson died in April 2014. Joe Sample passed away from mesothelioma in 2015. Wilton Felder died from myeloma in 2015. Although it took the members many years to regroup in various configurations, it was gratifying to see them finally do so. The Crusaders remain one of our finest bands and their music is still influential, intelligent and refined.

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