Randy Crawford & Joe Sample
@ the Hammersmith Apollo
8 December 2008
Photographs of Joe Sample 24 February 1996 & 8 December 2008
Click an image to enlarge.
Randy Crawford biography
Born Veronica Crawford, February 2. 1952 in Macon,
Georgia, Randy Crawford began her career performing in clubs from
Cincinnati to St. Tropez. She made her name in New York performing
alongside George Benson and Cannonball Adderly. She led r&b
veterans, The Crusaders, on their classic hit “Street Life”
in 1979.
Soul standards include “Rainy Day in Georgia”
in 1981.Her album “Secret Combination” stayed on the
album charts for over 60 weeks in 1981 and Randy returned to the
charts in 1986, with the top 10 single “Almaz”.
Crawford known for her amazing re-makes has recorded
such classics as “Purple Rain”, “Holding Back
the Years”, “Captain of Her Heart”, “Wishing
on a Star”, “All I Do”, “Foolish Heart”,
“Knockin on Heaven’s Door”, “Give Me the
Night” and many more.
Joe Sample biography
“As a young musician I wondered, where
did our music come from?” says Sample.
“I've become a bit of a historian of
jazz and all African American music, and recently discovered a biography
of James Reese Europe. Reading that biography has given me a clearer
understanding of why he has been so important not only to me, but
to all of us.”
Learning to play piano at age five, the Houston
native’s formative years found him firmly rooted in many different
musical traditions, including gospel, soul, bebop, blues, Latin,
and classical music. One of the many jazzmen who started out playing
hard bop but went electric during the fusion era, (soon after attending
Texas Southern University for three years,) Sample founded the Jazz
Crusaders along with trombonist Wayne Henderson, tenor saxman Wilton
Felder and drummer Stix Hooper. Relocating to and launching their
storied career in Los Angeles, The Crusaders patterned themselves
after Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, only without a trumpet
and becoming renowned for their unique tenor/trombone front line.
Sample focused on the acoustic piano during the
Crusaders’ early years (late 50s-early 60s), but began to
place greater emphasis on electric keyboards when the band turned
to jazz/funk in the early 70s and dropped the “Jazz”
from its name. After garnering numerous gold and platinum albums
over the course of nearly three decades, The Crusaders’ last
official recording was “Life in the Modern World” in
1987. Sample and Felder released the dual album “Healing the
Wounds” on GRP in the early 90s, and in 2003 rejoined Hooper
for a more full-scale reunion that produced the Southern styled
hit jazz fusion recording “Rural Renewal” - billed as
the first new album by The Crusaders in over 20 years-and a popular
subsequent tour.
While actively touring as a member of the Crusaders,
Sample simultaneously launched a successful solo career. His best
selling recordings include “Rainbow Seeker”, “Carmel”,
“Voices in the Rain”, “Spellbound”, “Ashes
to Ashes” and many more. In addition to his own recordings,
Sample has toured and performed with numerous musical greats in
all genres, including Marvin Gaye, Tina Turner, BB King, Eric Clapton,
Joe Cocker, Randy Crawford (who sang on the 1979 Crusaders smash
“Street Life”), Anita Baker, Andrae Crouch and many
others.
For more than four decades, pianist and composer
Joe Sample has been an integral, innovative and best-selling part
of jazz history. Sample is a humble approachable individual who
has gained the love and respect of artists’ and music aficionados
alike.
My respect for Joe Sample is immense, not only
as a musician, but also as a human being - Sounds a little corny,
but Joe was extremely kind to me when I met him at the Jazz Café
in 1996 (when my camera failed to work after sneaking into his gig).
His kindness led directly into me exploring musician photography
and the birth of this website. Ironically, at that time Joe mentioned
that Nick (his son) was interested in playing bass, but Joe admitted,
“I’m not sure if Nick has what it takes to really
make it!” Listening to Nick and studying the reassuring
body language between father and son at the Hammersmith Apollo over
a decade after his initial doubts, it is refreshing to see that
those doubts appear to have waned.
Robin Francis
© Michael Valentine Studio Ltd.
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