The Crusaders

The Crusaders are a US-American fusion jazz group, which was particularly successful in the 1970s through the combination of jazz and funk. The founding members of the later Crusaders, (keyboardist) Joe Sample, (drummer) Stix Hooper, (tenor saxophonist) Wilton Felder and (trombonist) Wayne Henderson, already got together in their hometown of Houston (Texas) during their high school days under the name "The Modern Jazz-Sextet". With their mixture of Jazz, Soul, Funk and Rhythm & Blues and a changed repertoire they created their own stylistic direction. Countless musicians and bands were influenced by this Gulf-Coast sound. “Street Life” with Randy Crawford on the vocals is an instant classic! The rhythms of individual songs are today sampled by many musicians and DJs.