The Crusaders started as The Jazz Crusaders in 1961, with Wilton Felder on saxophone, Wayne Henderson on trombone, Joe Sample at the piano, Henry Franklin on bass, and Nesbert 'Stix' Hooper on drums. They shifted toward a more accessible sound in the mid-1960s, which led to their breakthrough album 'Stand Alone.'
Their music mixed hard bop with soul and funk, built around Sample's piano lines, Henderson's trombone work, and Hooper's drumming. They recorded albums like 'Put It Where You Want It' and 'Young Rabbits,' and worked with singers such as Randy Crawford and Bill Withers.
In 1979 they released 'Street Life,' with the title track co-written by Sample and Will Jennings. The song became a hit, reaching the top 10 on the Billboard charts. Some jazz critics questioned their move toward a commercial sound in the 1970s, but they kept recording their own material.
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