The Crusaders (jazz fusion group)
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1960 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Products | Jazz fusion music |
Number of employees | 4 (original core members) |
The Crusaders—originally known as The Jazz Crusaders—were an American ensemble specializing in jazz fusion, active from the 1960s through the 2010s. Formed in 1960 under their initial name, they adopted the title The Crusaders in 1971 to attract a wider audience. Their sound was a fusion of jazz, R&B, jazz-rock, blues, and jazz-funk, which garnered them nine Grammy Award nominations.
Career
In 1954, high school classmates Joe Sample (piano), Wilton Felder (tenor saxophone), and Nesbert "Stix" Hooper (drums) established their first musical group in Houston. While attending Texas Southern University, they performed a mix of jazz and R&B, joined by Wayne Henderson (trombone), Hubert Laws (flute), and Henry Wilson (bass). Initially called the Modern Jazz Sextet and recording also as the Nighthawks, their style gravitated toward hard bop.
By 1960, Sample, Felder, Hooper, and Henderson relocated to Los Angeles and formed the Jazz Crusaders with several bass players over time. Drawing inspiration from artists like Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane, they signed with Pacific Jazz Records in 1961 and produced sixteen albums during the following eight years. Their music blended hard bop with elements of R&B and soul, with Felder and Henderson leading the horn section.
Their early releases included Freedom Sound (1961) and Lookin' Ahead (1962), featuring bassist Jimmy Bond. They also issued multiple live recordings primarily captured at the Lighthouse Café. Their 1966 rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Uptight" achieved a peak position of No. 95 on the Hot 100 chart. The 1969 album Powerhouse marked their debut on the Billboard 200 at No. 184 and was their final record under Pacific Jazz.
Subsequently, they signed with Chisa Records; the album Old Socks, New Shoes (1970) climbed to No. 90 on the album charts. In 1971, aiming to broaden their appeal, they shortened their name to The Crusaders and released Pass the Plate (1971) followed by Hollywood (1972). Most of the 1970s saw them recording for Blue Thumb Records. During this era, they embraced jazz-funk styles by incorporating electric guitar and bass alongside Sample's electric piano and clavinet. Guitarist Larry Carlton joined the lineup during this period; bass duties were handled by Felder, Max Bennett, and Robert Popwell.
Although initially well-received, critics observed a decline in artistic quality later in the decade amid commercial pressures to produce jazz-inflected pop covers. Henderson departed in 1975 to focus on record production; meanwhile, members increasingly contributed as session musicians for notable acts such as the Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, and Randy Newman. Commercial successes included the single "Put It Where You Want It" (reaching No. 52 on pop charts) and albums like The 2nd Crusade (No. 45), Southern Comfort (No. 31), Chain Reaction (No. 26), Those Southern Knights (No. 38), and Images (No. 34).
Their commercial zenith arrived with the 1979 release Street Life, featuring vocalist Randy Crawford; it attained No. 18 on pop charts while its title track topped R&B charts and achieved high rankings in the UK. Subsequent albums included collaborations with Bill Withers and Joe Cocker; their live album Royal Jam (1982) showcased performances alongside B.B. King and James Jamerson with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Hooper exited in 1983; Felder and Sample continued but experienced reduced commercial impact.
In the mid-1990s, Henderson reunited with Felder under The Crusaders banner; later efforts saw Felder and Sample collaborate again in 2003 while Henderson led a group reviving The Jazz Crusaders name.
Wayne Henderson passed away in April 2014; Joe Sample died in September 2014; Wilton Felder died in September 2015.
Grammy Awards
The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences annually honors outstanding achievements in music with the Grammy Awards. Throughout their career, The Crusaders have received nine Grammy nominations.
| Year | Category | Work Nominated | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Best R&B Instrumental Performance | Crusaders I | Template:Nom |
| 1973 | Best R&B Instrumental Performance | 2nd Crusade | Template:Nom |
| 1974 | Best R&B Instrumental Performance | "Scratch (Album)" | Template:Nom |
| 1976 | Best R&B Instrumental Performance | "Keep That Same Old Feeling (Album)" | Template:Nom |
| 1978 | Best R&B Instrumental Performance | "Images" | Template:Nom |
| 1981 | Best Inspirational Performance | I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today | Template:Nom |
| 1982 | Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal | Street Life (Track) | Template:Nom |
| 1984 | Best R&B Instrumental Performance | "Ghetto Blaster" | Template:Nom |
| 2003 | Best Contemporary Jazz Album | "Rural Renewal" | Template:Nom |
Under the name The Jazz Crusaders
- Freedom Sound (Pacific Jazz, 1961)
- Lookin' Ahead (Pacific Jazz, 1962)
- The Jazz Crusaders at the Lighthouse (Pacific Jazz, 1962)
- Tough Talk (Pacific Jazz, 1963)
- Heat Wave (Pacific Jazz, 1963)
- Jazz Waltz (Pacific Jazz, 1963) featuring Les McCann
- Stretchin' Out (Pacific Jazz, 1964)
- The Thing (Pacific Jazz, 1965)
- Chile Con Soul (Pacific Jazz, 1965)
- Live at the Lighthouse '66 (Pacific Jazz, 1966)
- Talk That Talk (Pacific Jazz, 1966)
- The Festival Album (Pacific Jazz, 1966)
- Uh Huh (Pacific Jazz, 1967)
- Lighthouse '68 (Pacific Jazz, 1968)
- Powerhouse (Pacific Jazz, 1969)
- Lighthouse '69 (Pacific Jazz, 1969)
- Give Peace a Chance (Liberty, 1970)
- Old Socks New Shoes – New Socks Old Shoes (Chisa, 1970)
As the Crusaders
- Pass the Plate (Chisa, 1971; reached No. 168 on US charts)
- Hollywood (MoWest, 1972)
- Crusaders 1 (Blue Thumb, 1972; peaked at No. 96 in US)
- The 2nd Crusade (Blue Thumb, 1973)
- Unsung Heroes (Blue Thumb, 1973)
- Scratch (Blue Thumb, 1974)
- Southern Comfort (Blue Thumb, 1974)
- Chain Reaction (Blue Thumb, 1975)
- Those Southern Knights (Blue Thumb, 1976)
- Best of The Crusaders (Blue Thumb, 1976)
- Free as the Wind (Blue Thumb, 1977)
- Images (Blue Thumb, 1978)
- Street Life (MCA, 1979)
- Rhapsody and Blues (MCA, 1980)
- Ongaku Kai – Live in Japan (Crusaders, 1981; reissued by GRP, 1993)
- Standing Tall (MCA, 1981)
- Royal Jam (MCA, 1982), featuring B.B. King
- Ghetto Blaster (MCA, 1984)
- The Good and Bad Times (MCA, 1986)
- Life in the Modern World (MCA, 1988)
- Healing the Wounds (GRP, 1991)
- Rural Renewal (Verve, 2003)
- Live in Japan 2003 (P.R.A., 2004)
As the Jazz Crusaders
(Note: Wayne Henderson and Wilton Felder involvement)
- Happy Again (Sin-Drome, 1994)
- Louisiana Hot Sauce (Sin-Drome, 1996)
- Break'n Da Rulz! (Indigo Blue, 1998)
- Power of Our Music – The Endangered Species (Indigo Blue, 2000)
- Soul Axess (True Life, 2003)
- Alive in South Africa (True Life, 2006)
See also
External links
- Jazz ensembles from Texas
- Musical groups established in 1952
- Musical groups disestablished in 2010
- Soul-jazz musicians
- Smooth jazz ensembles
- MCA Records artists
- Blue Note Records artists
- ABC Records artists
- Blue Thumb Records artists
- GRP Records artists
- 1952 establishments in Texas
- 2010 disestablishments in Texas