Jazz-Funk Fusion Group (1960-2010)

High school friends Joe Sample (piano), Wilton Felder (tenor saxophone), and Nesbert "Stix" Hooper (drums) formed their first band together, the Swingsters, at Wheatley High School in Houston, Texas in 1954. While at Texas Southern University, they were joined by Wayne Henderson (trombone), Hubert Laws (flute), and Henry Wilson (bass). They renamed themselves the Modern Jazz Sextet and also recorded R&B as the Nighthawks. In 1960, Sample, Felder, Hooper, and Henderson moved to Los Angeles and formed the Jazz Crusaders. Signed to Pacific Jazz in 1961, they released 16 albums over eight years in a hard bop style with an unusual trombone and saxophone frontline, distinguished by Sample's funky acoustic piano and strong R&B and soul influence. They recorded five live albums in the 1960s, four at the Lighthouse Café in Hermosa Beach. Their version of "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" reached number 95 on the Hot 100 in 1966.

In 1971, they became simply the Crusaders and adopted an electric jazz-funk sound with Sample on electric piano and clavinet, guitarist Larry Carlton, and electric bass. Signed to Blue Thumb Records, they released Crusaders 1 (1972) including "Put It Where You Want It", The 2nd Crusade (1973), Southern Comfort (1974), Chain Reaction (1975), Those Southern Knights (1976), and Images (1978). Their peak came with Street Life (1979) featuring Randy Crawford, reaching number 18 on the pop chart with the title track hitting number 36 Hot 100, top 10 R&B, and number 5 UK. Royal Jam (1982) was recorded live with B.B. King and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The group disbanded after Life in the Modern World (1987) but reunited for Rural Renewal (2003). Henderson died 5 April 2014, Sample died 12 September 2014, and Felder died 27 September 2015.