Jazz Crusaders – Classic Pacific Jazz Albums (4 CDs) ENLIGHTENMENT

Formed in 1956 by Joe Sample (piano), Stix Hooper (drums), Wilton Felder (saxophone), and Wayne Henderson (trombone) – buddies from an early age out of Houston, Texas – The Jazz Crusaders had all been schooled in local centres of prayer. They first performed together at one of the city’s Creole churches, where they began to define their sound. The blend of Jazz, Blues and Soul which the young quartet developed throughout this formative period remained their default style during their early career. Having tried a number of short-lived names such as The Swingsters and The Nite Hawks, the founding members relocated to Los Angeles. On arrival, they stayed with family and friends, often sharing one room between them with a couple of mattresses on the floor. After changing their name to The Jazz Crusaders in 1961 (a nod to jazz great Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers), the group signed with Pacific Jazz Records, a label with whom they would remain throughout the 1960s. Fronted by a two man horn section featuring trombone and tenor sax, the group’s sound was by now rooted in hard bop, with a nod still to R&B and soul. As The Jazz Crusaders, they released over a dozen albums before re-christening themselves The Crusaders in 1971, under which moniker they released a string of further albums in the jazz-fusion style, popular during the 1970s. This four disc boxset brings together the first eight albums by the Jazz Crusaders; all recorded for Pacific Jazz Records during the first half of the 1960s. Still held in huge esteem by Jazz critics and enthusiasts alike, this 4 CD collection, featuring over 5 hours of superb jazz, serves as both an ideal introduction to the Jazz Crusaders music, and as a welcome reminder of the group’s majesty, musicianship and style for those already well versed.

– Disc 1 –
1 The Geek
2 M. J. S. Funk
3 That’s It
4 Freedom Sound
5 Theme from ‘Exodus’
6 Coon
7 M. J. S. Funk (Alt. Version)
8 Coon (Alt. Version)
9 Big Hunk of Funk
10 Tonight
11 507 Neyland
12 Till All Ends
13 Tortoise and the Hare
14 In a Dream
15 Sinnin’ Sam
16 Song of India
17 The Young Rabbits

– Disc 2 –
1 Congolese Sermon
2 Cathy’s Dilemma
3 Blues for Ramona
4 Weather Beat
5 Scandalizing
6 Appointment in Ghana
7 Deacon Brown
8 Turkish Black
9 Brahms Lullaby
10 Brother Bernard
11 Boopie
12 Tough Talk
13 No Name Samba
14 Lazy Canary
15 Lonely Horn

– Disc 3 –
1 On Broadway
2 Green Back Dollar
3 Close Shave
4 Free Sample
5 Mr Sandman
6 Heat Wave
7 Sassy
8 Theme from ‘The L Shaped Room’
9 Some Samba
10 Stix March
11 Purple Onion
12 Spanish Castles
13 Blues for Yna Yna
14 Damascus
15 3-4 for God and Co
16 Bluesette
17 Big City
18 This Here
19 Jitterbug Waltz
20 All Blues
21 Jazz Waltz

– Disc 4 –
1 Long John
2 Robbin’s Nest
3 You Are Only Sometimes Rain
4 Out Back
5 Bachafillen
6 I’ll Remember Tomorrow
7 Polka Dots and Moonbeams
8 Sweetwater
9 The Thing
10 Sunset in Mountains
11 While the City Sleeps
12 White Cobra
13 New Time Shuffle
14 Para Mi Espoza
15 Soul Kosher