by Alex HendersonOne of the many jazzmen who started out playing hard bop but went electric during the fusion era, Joe Sample was, in the late 50s, a founding member of the Jazz Crusaders along with trombonist Wayne Henderson, tenor saxman Wilton Felder, and drummer Stix Hooper. The Crusaders debt to Art Blakeys Jazz Messengers wasnt hard to miss — except that the L.A.-based unit had no trumpeter, and became known for its unique tenor/trombone front line. Sample, a hard-swinging player who could handle chordal and modal/scalar improvisation equally well, stuck to the acoustic piano during the Crusaders early years — but would place greater emphasis on electric keyboards when the band turned to jazz-funk in the early 70s and dropped Jazz from its name. Though hed recorded as a trio pianist on 1969s obscure Fancy Dance, 1978s Rainbow Seeker was often described as his first album as a leader. In contrast to the gritty music the Crusaders became known for, Samples own albums on MCA and, later, Warner Bros. and PRA have generally favored a very lyrical and introspective jazz-pop approach.