Vinyl Vault—The Crusaders, The 2nd Crusade

Europeans launched the Second Crusade against the Middle East in 1147. The band the Crusaders launched “The 2nd Crusade” in 1973 with much better results than the earlier Second Crusade. It was a double album released on the Blue Thumb label, a subsidiary of ABC Records.

The band had previously been known as the Jazz Crusaders but shortened their name to the Crusaders in 1971. Although “The 2nd Crusade” implies that this was their second album under their new name, it was actually their fourth. It was, however, their second album for Blue Thumb.

The lineup featured the core quartet that originally migrated from Texas to Los Angeles in the early 1960s: Nesbert “Stix” Hooper on drums and percussion, Joe Sample, on keyboards, Wilton Felder, on saxes, bass, and bass marimba and Wayne Henderson on trombone. They were joined by a collection of guitarists: Larry Carlton, Arthur Adams and David T. Walker.

Each member of the core group was a writer and the album featured compositions by each. By 1973, the Crusaders’ sound had settled into a combination of jazz/R&B/funk and each tune lays down a different and interesting groove.

Check out “The 2nd Crusade” on the next Vinyl Vault with Geoff Anderson, Tuesday, August 8 at 8:30 pm on KUVO JAZZ. And it’s guaranteed: there will be no theological warfare.

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