Most of us know that without the generational contributions of Black artists, music in this nation would have no soul, if any music existed at all. What fewer realize, without the Crusaders and their global influence on jazz, the genre would only be a shell of itself.
One of the most iconic groups in the history of improvisational jazz, The Crusaders – originally named the Jazz Crusaders – hailed from right here in Houston. Joe Sample, Wayne Henderson and Wilton Felder, all deceased, along with Hubert Laws and Stix Hooper, made up the group’s original lineup.
Underappreciated greatness
According to Tierney Malone, host of KPFT’s “Houston Jazz Spotlight,” the Crusaders’ underappreciated greatness is consistent with Houston’s long and storied yet rarely recognized jazz influence.
“There’s no way to tell the story of American jazz without telling the story of Houston, Texas and the artists who have been front and center at every stage of jazz’s development,” said Malone, who listed H-Town jazz greats Kinney Abair, Arnett Cobb, Kenny Andrews, Clayton Dyess and Professor Conrad Johnson as just a sampling of the Bayou City’s jazz offerings.
But Malone was unapologetic about placing the Crusaders atop the list, listing their influence on multiple music genres, film soundtracks and new iterations of jazz.
Group of legends
Each member of the Crusaders was a musical legend in their own right. However, according to Vincent Gardner, a jazz powerhouse in his own right, one of the reasons he believes the Crusaders deserve more recognition for their global impact on jazz is because of their ability to play in harmony with one another.
“They were so instinctive and in tune with each other, it was amazing to see their ensemble precision and the high level of musicality that they played with,” said Gardner, musical director of the Jazz Houston Orchestra and lead trombonist of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO), led by nine-time Grammy-award-winning jazz legend Wynton Marsalis. “The amount of craftsmanship that they had, when they were playing a unison note, playing the same note in the same register, it sounded like one horn playing.”
Joe Sample Celebration Concert
Gardner is also the artistic director and co-founder of Jazz Houston, a 501c3 that seeks to promote the cultivation of jazz globally. Jazz Houston, in partnership with KTSU 90.9 FM, recently hosted “The Joe Sample Celebration” at the Hobby Center, honoring the legacy of Sample and the Crusaders.
“It was something we had always planned to do since the inception of Jazz Houston because of the great legacy of Joe Sample and of the Crusaders and all of the members of the group and what they did, which I believe is terribly under-celebrated not only in the city of Houston, but in the music world at large. I don’t think people really understand the magnitude of their impact. I mean, the Crusaders came right out of Houston, Texas. Most of them were students at Phillis Wheatley High School. They moved to Los Angeles in the early sixties and took over, creating their own lane within the music.”
Gardner said that when jazz transitioned into incorporating more popular styles (R&B, rock, etc.), it was the Crusaders who led the way.
“They were the first to really have success showcasing how you could play music that didn’t have a jazz origin with jazz sensibilities. That was a tremendous thing to showcase to everybody. Countless bands followed suit after that. But the inspiration comes from the Crusaders.”
Gardner, who was introduced to the Crusaders via his jazz artist father, also came to appreciate the group’s straight-ahead roots as displayed on their first nine albums, before dropping the “Jazz” from their name.
Concert-goer testimonies
The concert Gardner and crew organized showcased their love and respect for the Crusaders, and it was felt by attendees.
“Phenomenal, just phenomenal,” said Cherish Rawlings of the event celebrating Sample and his bandmates.
“When Jazz Houston Orchestra played the Crusaders’ ‘Creole Eyes,’ I thought that was the high point until they played ‘Children of the Sun,’” shared concert-goer Waymon Johnston. “But when they closed out with ‘Street Life,’ I was in heaven.”
The Crusaders left Houston in 1958 bound for fame and fortune in Los Angeles. However, it wasn’t until 1961 that the group recorded its first album, “Freedom Songs,” in commemoration of the then-budding Civil Rights Movement. The Crusaders enjoyed a long run of success well into the ’80s before parting ways.
Thirty years later, they reunited and never missed a beat.
“Wilton and Joe are without a doubt two of the most creative and soulful people I’ve ever played with; we’ve been playing music together since we were pre-teens,” said the group’s trombonist Henderson during a 2011 Defender interview. “And since we’re getting up in age I wanted the opportunity to once again play with those cats.”
