Musician. Born Joseph Leslie Sample, for over five decades he was a pianist-composer and fixture in contemporary jazz. In the early 1950s, as a music student at Texas Southern University, he teamed up with saxophonist Wilton Felder, drummer Stix Hooper, trombonist Wayne Henderson and several other musicians to form, “The Jazz Crusaders”. The group started out playing a hard bop style and by the late 1960s, pioneered a more progressive sound of soul and funk, to create a unique fusion known in jazz today. After garnering numerous gold and platinum albums over the course of nearly three decades, The Crusaders' last official recording was “Life in the Modern World” (1987). As a solo artist, he recorded 21 albums to include “Rainbow Seeker”, “Carmel”, “Voices in the Rain”, “Spellbound” and “Ashes to Ashes”. He also recorded and toured with artist Marvin Gaye, Anita Baker, Joni Mitchell, BB King, Eric Clapton and many others. As a composer, he holds writing and production credits on countless recordings. He died of pneumonia at age 75.
Musician. Born Joseph Leslie Sample, for over five decades he was a pianist-composer and fixture in contemporary jazz. In the early 1950s, as a music student at Texas Southern University, he teamed up with saxophonist Wilton Felder, drummer Stix Hooper, trombonist Wayne Henderson and several other musicians to form, “The Jazz Crusaders”. The group started out playing a hard bop style and by the late 1960s, pioneered a more progressive sound of soul and funk, to create a unique fusion known in jazz today. After garnering numerous gold and platinum albums over the course of nearly three decades, The Crusaders' last official recording was “Life in the Modern World” (1987). As a solo artist, he recorded 21 albums to include “Rainbow Seeker”, “Carmel”, “Voices in the Rain”, “Spellbound” and “Ashes to Ashes”. He also recorded and toured with artist Marvin Gaye, Anita Baker, Joni Mitchell, BB King, Eric Clapton and many others. As a composer, he holds writing and production credits on countless recordings. He died of pneumonia at age 75.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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