(Crossover Jazz, Smooth Jazz) The Crusaders - Rural Renewal - 2003, MP3, 320 kbps

by Scott Yanow
Back in 1954, Houston pianist Joe Sample teamed up with high school friends tenor saxophonist Wilton Felder and drummer Stix Hooper to form the Swingsters. Within a short time, they were joined by trombonist Wayne Henderson, flutist Hubert Laws, and bassist Henry Wilson and the group became the Modern Jazz Sextet. With the move of Sample, Felder, Hooper, and Henderson to Los Angeles in 1960, the band (a quintet with the bass spot constantly changing) took on the name of the Jazz Crusaders. The following year they made their first recordings for Pacific Jazz and throughout the 1960s the group was a popular attraction, mixing together R&B and Memphis soul elements with hard bop; its trombone/tenor frontline became a trademark. By 1971, when all of the musicians were also busy with their own projects, it was decided to call the group simply the Crusaders so it would not be restricted to only playing jazz. After a few excellent albums during the early part of the decade (with guitarist Larry Carlton a strong asset), the group began to decline in quality. In 1975, the band's sound radically changed when Henderson departed to become a full-time producer. 1979's "Street Life" was a hit, but also a last hurrah. With Hooper's decision to leave in 1983, the group no longer sounded like the Crusaders and gradually disbanded. In the mid-'90s, Henderson and Felder had a reunion as the Crusaders but in reality only Joe Sample has had a strong solo career.

by Alex Henderson
In the '90s, things became complicated for the Crusaders fans. Keyboardist Joe Sample, and tenor saxman Wilton Felder, recorded 1991's Healing the Wounds as the Crusaders for GRP, and the mid- to late-'90s found Felder and trombonist Wayne Henderson recording for various indie labels as the Jazz Crusaders (despite Sample's objections to their use of that name). Then, in 2002, Sample, Felder and drummer Stix Hooper reunited as the Crusaders -- not the Jazz Crusaders -- and recorded Rural Renewal for Verve. Henderson is the only original member who is absent on this CD, which is surprisingly solid. Because the Crusaders/Jazz Crusaders have been in a state of uncertainly since the '80s and recorded their share of uneven, disappointing albums, one greets Rural Renewal with a certain amount of trepidation. But this release is a pleasant surprise -- in fact, it is arguably the most consistent album that the improvisers have recorded in at least 20 years. And one man who can take some of the credit for that is producer Stewart Levine, who the group worked with extensively back in the '70s. Levine is obviously a positive influence on Rural Renewal, which finds Sample, Felder, and Hooper offering an inspired dose of fusion and jazz-funk. Thankfully, Levine lets the soloists have plenty of room to stretch out. Improvisation is a big no-no on smooth jazz/NAC stations, but this 2002 edition of the Crusaders doesn't pander to radio -- instead, spontaneity prevails for Sample, Felder, and Hooper, as well as trombonist Steve Baxter, Ray Parker Jr. (guitar) and special guest Eric Clapton (who plays guitar on two tracks). Rural Renewal falls short of essential, but it's still a welcome addition to their catalog.

The Crusaders:
Wilton Felder - tenor saxophone
Joe Sample - piano, Wurlitzer piano, Fender Rhodes piano, organ
Stix Hooper - drums
Additional personnel:
Donnie McClurkin- vocals
Sounds Of Blackness - background vocals
Steve Baxter - trombone
Ray Parker, Jr. - guitar
Eric Clapton - guitar
Arthur Adams - guitar
Freddie Washington - bass
Lenny Castro - percussion