Fresh and spirited, the Jazz Crusaders were one of the best exponents of the fast moving Los Angeles soul jazz scene of the early 60s. Firmly rooted in tradition, yet they radiated a stimulatingly youthful exuberance evident in these extrovert live recordings at the famous Lighthouse in August 1962, and in three studio recordings from a few weeks later. The program with the exception of Jackie McLean s Appointment in Ghana relied primarily upon the group s challenging record library. Felder, as many Texas tenor men do, seasoned his hard, sinewy sound with a driving blues approach and a pinch of soul. Trombonist Henderson s attack is clean and his sound rich and full of colour. A really cohesive rhythm section featuring pianist Joe Sample s very personal solo style, is anchored by young bassist Victor Gaskin subtle strength and infectiously booming, fat sound; he had recently arrived from New York to become the second bassist associated with the group since the original member, Jimmy Bond, left in the summer of 1962. And on drums, Stix Hooper plays hard without overwhelming his colleagues. That the Jazz Crusaders stirred great excitement within their audience is clear in this buoyant set of powerful in-person performances. STEREO 24 BIT DIGITALLY REMASTERED 1 LP + 5 BONUS Complete Recordings with Victor Gaskin
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