Joe Sample's distinctively funky piano style using strong dominant rhythms
became one of the trademarks of his band The Jazz Crusaders who rose to
prominence after releasing their first album in 1961. Sample became one of the
first jazz piano players to embrace the new wave of electric instruments which
began to appear on the market in the late 1960s and Sample's name became
synonymous with the newly released Fender Rhodes piano, using it to great effect
on many of his recordings during that era. Sample and his ensemble effectively
bridged the gap between jazz and soul and the ba...