The Jazz Crusaders at the Lighthouse '68

The Jazz Crusaders - Lighthouse '68 (1968)
Label: Liberty Records (Applause)

Recorded live at the Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, California in November 1967

The Jazz Crusaders
Wilton Felder tenor saxophone Wayne Henderson trombone Joe Sample piano
Buster Williams bass Stix Hooper drums

01. Ooga Boo Ga Loo (6:55)
02. Eleanor Rigby (7:40)
03. Native Dancer (9:05)
04. Never Had It So Good (7:24)
05. The Emperor (9:08)
06. Impressions (6:38)


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This 1968 live outing captures the Jazz Crusaders in fine, laid-back form. As with the best concert recordings, the group benefits here from the intimacy of the setting; the musicianship is spot-on and technically challenging, yet remains warm and expansive. The band--fronted by pianist Joe Sample, trombonist Wayne Henderson, and tenor sax man Wilton Felder--rolls out its smoothest grooves while incorporating gospel fervor, funk rhythms, and no small amount of hard-bop vocabulary.

The opener, "Oogo-Boo-Ga-Loo," lays a sassy horn line over a simple, loping pattern, giving the soloists plenty of room to stretch out. Things stay deep in the groove on cuts like "Tough Talk," but the group proves itself equally adept at modal explorations, most notably on compositions by bassist Buster Williams, such as the Latin-themed "Native Dancer" and the beautiful, shape-shifting "The Emperor." A frenetic and faithful interpretation of Coltrane's "Impressions" brings all of these assets together. Overall, LIGHTHOUSE '68 is a solid set that synthesizes the era's varied styles into one remarkable package.