Hollywood
View on Discogs
Album Summary
The Crusaders — that legendary Los Angeles outfit of Joe Sample, Wilton Felder, Stix Hooper, and Wayne Henderson — laid down 'Hollywood' in 1972 for Blue Thumb Records, riding a creative wave that found them fully stepping into their own as a unit that defied easy categorization. Produced by the band themselves, this record captures that beautiful moment when jazz, soul, and funk were all reaching toward each other, and the Crusaders were right there in the middle making it look effortless. Recorded in their hometown of Los Angeles, the album carries that West Coast warmth — loose but deliberate, sophisticated but never cold — and represents one of the group's most focused and groove-driven statements of this era.
Reception
- The album was warmly received by the jazz and soul community, cementing the Crusaders' reputation as one of the most versatile and respected instrumental acts working in the early 1970s.
- Critics of the period praised the album's ability to straddle jazz credibility and danceable groove, making it a favorite among listeners who wanted their music to move both the body and the mind.
- While not a mainstream pop chart breakthrough, 'Hollywood' deepened the group's loyal following and reinforced their standing as architects of a new, funkier strain of soul-jazz.
Significance
- 'Hollywood' stands as a defining document of the early 1970s soul-jazz movement, with the Crusaders demonstrating that instrumental music could carry as much emotional weight and street-level energy as any vocal record of the era.
- The album's title track and groove-heavy cuts like 'Papa Hooper's Barrelhouse Groove' and 'Cold Duck Eddie' showcase the band's deep roots in blues and R&B while pushing forward into funkier, more expansive territory that would influence a generation of musicians.
- Tracks like 'Way Back Home' and 'Alekesam' reflect the Crusaders' rare gift for writing instrumental music with genuine soul and narrative feeling — a quality that set them apart from their contemporaries and gave this album a timeless, after-midnight resonance.
Samples
- "Way Back Home" — one of the most celebrated tracks in the Crusaders catalog from this period, widely sampled across hip-hop and soul productions for its deeply soulful melodic and rhythmic foundation.
- "Papa Hooper's Barrelhouse Groove" — sampled by various hip-hop producers drawn to its raw, rolling groove and percussive energy.
- "Hollywood" — the title track has been tapped by producers for its smooth yet driving instrumental texture.
Tracklist
-
A1 Spanish Harlem 112
7:02
-
A2 Try A Little Harder 96
5:50
-
A3 Hollywood 116
3:40
-
A4 Do Yourself A Favor 94
4:29
-
B1 Cold Duck Eddie 113
7:35
-
B2 Way Back Home 176
4:07
-
B3 Papa Hooper's Barrelhouse Groove 90
2:37
-
B4 Alekesam 89
5:20
Artist Details
The Crusaders — originally known as the Jazz Crusaders — came together in Houston, Texas in the late 1950s, a band of brothers forged in the church and the streets, blending hard bop jazz with blues, funk, and soul into something so deep and righteous it had no choice but to become its own thing. With cats like Joe Sample on keys, Wilton Felder on saxophone, and Stix Hooper holding down the pocket on drums, they became one of the defining forces in the development of soul-jazz and funk, laying the groundwork for what folks would later call smooth jazz while always keeping that raw, earthy feeling underneath. Their 1979 smash "Street Life," featuring the incomparable Randy Crawford on vocals, brought them to the mainstream masses, but true music lovers knew long before that these cats were the real deal — session players, bandleaders, and sonic architects who shaped the sound of an era.
