After a decade of performing as The Jazz Crusaders, Wayne Henderson, Wilton Felder, Joe Sample and Stix Hooper renamed themselves just The Crusaders in 1971, and later moved to the Blue Thumb label. This is their third release under that name, and first on Blue Thumb, and pushes further into crossover territory. The record label president credited most of their pop success to the addition of Larry Carlton on guitar, and while the guitar helps a lot, the original Crusaders are such terrific musicians that their use of electric bass and keyboards, soul and funk positioned them for wider exposure and success.
The album cover is also pretty cool, and is an example of marketing the members prominently on the merchandise. I read that some of the members felt reproach from jazz critics, and I imagine its true, but its undeniable that The Crusaders were successful for their talent and recognized for their appeal. Its a double album, not very rare and definitely worth picking up.
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