The Crusaders - Greasy Spoon - Pass The Plate

Greasy Spoon - Great slow rolling funky intrumental cut by The Cusaders w/ some killer guitar by Larry Carlton and cool sax. Flip - Pass the Plate.


The Crusaders are an American music group popular in the early 1970s known for their amalgamated jazz, pop and soul sound. Since 1961, more than forty albums have been credited to the group (some live and compilations), 19 of which were recorded under the name "The Jazz Crusaders" (1961–1970).

In 1960, following the demise of a few short-lived Houston-based groups called The Swingsters and the Nite Hawks , pianist Joe Sample, drummer Stix Hooper, saxophonist Wilton Felder and trombonist Wayne Henderson relocated to Los Angeles, CA. After changing their name to "The Jazz Crusaders," the group signed with Pacific Jazz Records, where they would remain throughout the 1960s. Employing a two-manned front-line horn section (trombone and tenor saxophone), the group's sound was rooted in hard bop, with an emphasis on R&B and soul.
The group shortened their name to "The Crusaders" in 1971, and adopted a jazz-funk style. They also incorporated the electric bass and electric guitar into their music. Bass guitarist Robert "Pops" Popwell and guitarist Larry Carlton joined the band, and featured on the group's albums throughout most of the 1970s. With this new style came increased crossover appeal, and the group's recordings started to appear on the Billboard pop charts. The height of the group's commercial success came with 1979's Street Life, which peaked at #18 on the pop album charts and the title track from the album made the Top 10 on the R&B chart and #36 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.
In 1975, following the release of their 28th album (their ninth as "The Crusaders"), Henderson left the group to pursue a full-time career as a producer. His departure created a void, permanently changing the character of the group. Another founding member, Hooper, left the group in 1983, thus signaling the end to the group's most popular period. Three more albums were recorded in the mid-1980s; however by the 1990s, "The Crusaders", for the most part, had disbanded, with a comprehensive discography behind them.

The Crusaders - Greasy Spoon

The Crusaders - Pass The Plate