Vinyl Vault — Crusaders, “Those Southern Knights”

On the next Vinyl Vault we’ll have some of that mid-70s refined funk from the Crusaders and their 1976 album, “Those Southern Knights,” a release on the ABC Record label.

The album featured the four founding members of the Crusaders, Joe Sample on keyboards, Stix Hooper on drums, Wayne Henderson on trombone, and Wilton Felder on tenor saxophone. Felder was also known to play bass, but for this album, Robert “Pops” Popwell was anointed as a band member and bass player. Also listed as a member of the band was guitarist Larry Carlton who had played on a number of Crusaders albums, but usually as a session musician.

The album is filled with those patented Crusaders grooves from deep in the pocket. “And Then There Was the Blues,” is an extended jam giving all the members a chance to stretch out on solos. “Spiral” and “My Mama Told Me So” display the classic Crusaders’ funk with tight, precision playing by the entire ensemble.

Join Geoff Anderson, on Tuesday, May 7 at 8:30 p.m. for the next Vinyl Vault on KUVO JAZZ.

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