Crusaders Groove Crusade CD

Groove Crusade is a smoking little sampling of the Crusaders recordings from 1970-1979. It is a compilation of tunes assembled from the beginning of the period where they dropped the word "Jazz" from the front of their name as a reaction to the harsh words the band received from jazz critics throughout the 1960s. Long before the tracks on this comp appeared, in what are now regarded as legendary live dates recorded at the Lighthouse in California, this West Coast group (by way of Texas, where four of them grew up playing together) called the Jazz Crusaders were instrumental in the creation of what we now call soul-jazz. In the early '60s, the quintet was regarded as a hard bop unit; but that description didn't fit so well because the compositions and arrangements concentrated on what would accent their unique combination of jazz, blues, gospel, and soul. The Crusaders' sound was a deep emotional music that didn't rely so much on player's soloing chops (though all of them are great soloists), but rather on the total feel produced by the group. They were regarded with hostility and/or dismissed by many "important" critics during the decade -- bop and hard bop fans at the time were as conservative, if not more as folk revival "aficionados." The music made by the Crusaders was considered lightweight, even simple (because it communicated so directly to the listening audience. Many of these same, old-guard folks disliked another Texan named Ornette Coleman during the late '50s and early '60s for different reasons.)

The 11 tunes included on Groove Crusade focus on the Crusaders at the peak of their popularity during the '70s. It showcases their deft, sophisticated, and inclusive musical approach as well as their collective creative imagination. Groove Crusade is sequenced by feel, not by chronological order, and it's a stunner from start to finish. The first Crusaders album, 1 netted the band precious radio air play on stations that had previously eluded them; but more than that, it got them air play on burgeoning FM rock & roll and progressive AM soul stations. Pianist Joe Sample's "Put It Where You Want It," and "Don't Let It Get You Down," are excellent examples of a seamless yet down-home slippery, relaxed, emotional kind of jazzy funk. These tracks are the lead-off cuts to 1 and 1971's 2nd Crusade. With guitarist Larry Carlton added to the fold (he also played on the debut Steely Dan offering Can't Buy a Thrill) they were unstoppable. (Interestingly, neither of these albums were available on CD in America until 2004.) Dig into saxophonist Wilton Felder's more elaborate "Way Back H

Additional personnel includes: Randy Crawford (vocals); David T. Walker (guitar); Paulinho Da Costa, Ralph MacDonald (percussion).

Collection Of Their Funky Tunes.

Recorded at Wally Heider, Hollywood Sound, Hollywood, California and The Roxy, Los Angeles, California between 1970 & 1979. Includes liner notes by David Ritz.

Producers: The Crusaders, Stewart Levine.

Compilation producer: Stewart Levine.

Personnel: Randy Crawford (vocals); David T. Walker, Dean Parks, Freddy Robinson , Larry Carlton, Roland Bautista , Arthur Adams , Billy Rogers (guitar); Wilton Felder (saxophone, tenor saxophone); Jerome Richardson (alto saxophone); Robert Bryant, Jr. (tenor saxophone); Bill Green (baritone saxophone); Oscar Brashear, Bobby Bryant (trumpet); Wayne Henderson (trombone); Garnett Brown (tenor trombone); Maurice Spears (bass trombone); Joe Sample (keyboards); Stix Hooper (drums, percussion); Paulinho Da Costa, Ralph MacDonald (percussion).

Audio Mixer: Rik Pekkonen.

Liner Note Author: David Ritz.

Recording information: Hollywood Sound Recorders, Hollywood, CA (1970-1979); The Roxy, Los Angeles, CA (1970-1979); Wally Heider Studios, Hollywood, CA (1970-1979).

Illustrator: R. Gregory Christie.

The Crusaders: Wilton Felder (tenor saxophone, bass); Wayne Henderson (trombone); Joe Sample (keyboards); Larry Carlton (guitar); Robert "Pops" Popwell (bass)