Jazz was in a humorous place by the mid-Seventies, the jazz police had declared that almost all of what was being launched was at greatest nugatory, and at worst the work of darkish forces designed to in some way unbalance the musical equilibrium. And but one band, particularly, strode throughout the musical panorama embracing jazz, funk, and R&B with aplomb, creating their very own very particular soundtrack to a decade that was a musical melange.
Take heed to Southern Consolation proper now.
The Crusaders had not been merely been a Seventies incarnation, having recorded their first album in 1961 for Pacific Jazz, happening to launch an extra 15 albums earlier than the last decade was over. Again then they have been often called The Jazz Crusaders, and exhausting bop was their stock-in-trade. In 1961 the band was Wayne Henderson – trombone, Wilton Felder – tenor saxophone, Joe Pattern – piano, Jimmy Bond – bass, and Stix Hooper – drums.
By the point the band recorded Southern Consolation at Wally Heider Recording, in Hollywood with producer Stewart Levine in 1974 Bond had lengthy gone and Felder performed each bass and saxophone, whereas the remaining founding members have been nonetheless there. Earlier within the decade that they had recorded 4 studio albums and launched a dwell album and for Southern Consolation the sensible guitarist, 26-year-old Larry Carlton had joined their ranks as a fully-fledged member.
Launched in October 1974 Southern Consolation made the Billboard Album chart on October 26, changing into their ninth album to enter one of the best vendor record. It stayed across the charts for five months and in addition made No.3 on the R&B charts and it topped the Jazz chart.
“Stomp and Buck Dance” opens the album and it helped the gross sales by charting on each the R&B and dance chart, it provides you a clue as to the texture of the only, however not the album as an entire. A lot of what makes the album so good is the introduction of Carlton, whose lyrical guitar enjoying injects an entire new vibe into the Crusaders.
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“The Wells Gone Dry,” written by Carlton, is among the standout tracks, as is the title observe, a Henderson composition – suppose “Hill Street Blues” with a touch extra funk. Among the many standouts is the poignant, “When There’s Love Around” written by Stix Hopper, which options some lovely Fender Rhodes from Joe Pattern.
“Lilies of The Nile” options everybody doing what they do greatest, however none extra so than Felder and Henderson whose sax and trombone are lovely. In truth, this double LP’s second album is a tour de drive, with “Whispering Pines” taking off from the place “Lilies of the Nile” finishes. For the album’s nearer, there’s considered one of Joe Pattern’s usually melodious compositions, “A Ballad For Joe (Louis)” that may be a tasteful tribute to the well-known boxer.
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The Crusaders play intelligently all through this and all their albums, however Southern Consolation is a kind of information that sums up what makes them such a particular band. The Crusaders are performed far too hardly ever on the radio lately, apart from their large hit, “Street Life” that includes Randy Crawford – it’s a musical injustice. They’re a band who survived potential arrest by the Jazz Police and gave these of us who didn’t suppose nice jazz ended someday within the mid-60s hope.
The Crusaders’ Southern Consolation may be purchased right here.
