|
Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZCRUSADERS, TheGroup formed in the 1950s by Stix Hooper (b 15 August 1938), called Modern Jazz Sextet, then Nite Hawks, Jazz Crusaders from '60, Crusaders from '72, adopting a jazz-rock style and finding popularity. Albums included Wayne Henderson, trombone (b 24 September 1939, d 4 April 2014); Joe Sample, keyboards (b 1 February 1939; d 11 September 2014), Wilton Felder, saxes (b 31 August 1940; d 27 Sptember 2015), all from Houston; Larry Carlton, guitar (b 2 March 1948, Torrance CA), and using session bassists: Chain Reaction '75, Scratch '75; with guests but without Henderson: Free As The Wind '76; without Carlton and Henderson: Street Life '79 (vocal by Randy Crawford on title track, a Top 40 hit), Rhapsody And Blues '80 with Bill Withers on 'Soul Shadows', Royal Jam '81 (two-disc set with B.B. King and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, made at Royal Festival Hall, London). Others included Standing Tall '81 with guest Joe Cocker, Live In Japan '82, etc. Twelve LPs reached the Billboard top 100 albums 1971-84. Robert Christgau wrote of Best Of The Crusaders '76, 'Their basic project is soulful Muzak ...' Henderson left to become a producer, also recorded with Roy Ayers. Felder also played electric bass; he and Hooper became busy freelance session players. Sample had switched to electric piano and was heard on albums by Marvin Gaye, Joni Mitchell, Tina Turner and others. He had also played with LA Express, made a Blue Note LP San Francisco with Harold Land and Bobby Hutcherson, etc. His solo career had begun with a trio album Fancy Dance '69, included pop-jazz such as Carmel '79, solo Soul Shadows 2008; Children of the Sun was due to be released in late 2014. Carlton also sessioned widely and had a dozen CDs on MCA or GRP including The Gift, made in Nashville with Buddy Emmons on steel guitar and Kirk Whalum on sax (Cadence observed, 'You know it's new age when someone is listed as just playing ''sax''.') |