Those Southern Knights
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Album Summary
Those Southern Knights came rolling out of Blue Thumb Records in 1976, and let me tell you, this was The Crusaders at a moment when they had truly found their lane — a deep, soulful pocket where jazz sophistication met funk and R&B with a smoothness that felt as natural as a warm Southern breeze. Produced by the group themselves, this album captured Wilton Felder, Joe Sample, Stix Hooper, and Larry Carlton locking into a sound that was polished enough for radio but had enough grit and groove underneath to satisfy the serious listeners. It was a record that knew exactly what it was — a statement from a band that had been honing their craft since the early 1960s and had arrived at a place of confident, mature mastery.
Reception
- The album achieved commercial success on both the R&B and jazz charts, reflecting the growing mainstream appeal The Crusaders had been building throughout the mid-1970s.
- Critical reception was warm and respectful, with reviewers recognizing the group's rare ability to craft music that was simultaneously accessible and instrumentally sophisticated.
Significance
- Those Southern Knights stands as a defining document of the soul-jazz and funk fusion movement of the mid-1970s, with tracks like Keep That Same Old Feeling and Feeling Funky showcasing The Crusaders' gift for weaving laid-back grooves with tight, purposeful instrumental arrangements that never sacrificed feeling for flash.
- The album represents a pivotal moment in jazz history when artists of The Crusaders' caliber were proving that crossing over to broader audiences did not have to mean leaving the music's soul behind — they brought the audience to the music rather than the other way around.
- Those Southern Knights contributed meaningfully to a cultural moment in which jazz, funk, and R&B were in genuine dialogue with one another, and The Crusaders were among the most eloquent voices in that conversation.
Samples
- Keep That Same Old Feeling — one of the most sampled tracks from this album, drawn upon by hip-hop and R&B producers for its warm, rolling groove and lush melodic atmosphere.
Tracklist
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A1 Spiral 111
6:14
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A2 Keep That Same Old Feeling 104
5:36
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A3 My Mama Told Me So 200
4:50
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A4 Til The Sun Shines 198
2:42
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B1 And Then There Was The Blues 168
9:43
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B2 Serenity 115
7:17
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B3 Feeling Funky 110
3:00
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.
