Customer Reviews

Rural Renewal

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I know virtually nothing about the Crusaders. Their kind of music--ultra-sophisticated, roots-based jazz-funk--has fallen outside my musical experience.

My loss.

Let me come straight out and say it. This is one of the most accomplished and satisfying discs I have ever encountered. There's this deep groove coming from some authentic place--Texas, I learned, since I became interested in this group. This is not the kind of music that can be mass produced, predicted, or even successfully copied. It has its own inherent, uncompromising authenticity and authority.

How can it be so precise without being slick? So soulful without being cliché? So sophisticated yet completely natural? I'll tell you. A lifetime of commitment combined with pure genius and musical telepathy set loose, UNLEASHED, given free rein.

Fundamentally, a project like this gains nothing by heavy-duty analysis, so I'm going to quit while I'm ahead. Trust me on this: Just buy it.

I was surprised to discover the Crusaders are back together on this CD - Joe Sample, Wilton Felder, & Stix Hooper. I have followed this band since the early 1970s.

If you are a Crusaders fan you definitely should buy this CD. It is like spending time with an old friend. They have a great beat and are always pushing their style to new levels.

If I could give more that 5 stars I would.

This reunion CD comes on the heels of several other "Jazz Crusaders" reunions that included Wayne Henderson; so while it might be hard for fans to get a handle on "Will the real band please stand up?", "Rural Renewal" is an excellent set on its own terms. David Ritz who wrote the lyrics to Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" does the liner notes that detail the course of jazz from the 60s to the present & how the Crusaders/Jazz Crusaders fit within that era. Joe Sample wrote most of the songs and does a great job such as on the loose "Shotgun House Groove" that producer Stewart Levine allows the band members to improvise over the central riff with great result. On "The Territory," Wilton Felder's tenor sax settles into the groove and explodes into a delightful ride. Drummer Stix Howse penned "Greasy Spoon" that sets a funky beat with Sample's keyboards & Felder's sax in a luxurious duel. "Lazy Sundays" is breezy & laid back. Perhaps the most memorable tracks open the set with Eric Clapton guesting on both the energetic title track & the blues jam "Creepin'." A quote from Donnie McClurkin on the Oprah Winfrey show just after 9/11 lead to the lyric composition between Sample & Will Jennings on "A Healing Coming On." The Sounds of Blackness guest on the track, giving a moving gospel feel. "Rural Renewal" is an excellent set that marries jazz, blues & soul into an enchanting mix. Enjoy!

I'm picky with what I put on my iPod, even if it has 20Gigs... My favorites were Creepin', Heartland and The Territory, and the rest of the CD is pretty good too.

My all-time favorite Crusaders pieces are "A Message from the Inner City," and "A Search for Soul." Both are from the most underrated album of all time, "The 2nd Crusade," reach all the way back to 1972 for this gem. Some of their stuff has an unjust reputation for being Jazz Lite, but the two above are the real deal...

Anyway, the Rural Renewal stuff has echoes of the above, which is cool. Thanks Crusaders, this is definitely worth the price of admission, from a dedicated fan.

I wasn't sure what I was going to hear on this album, which is a reunion of sorts. What I heard was very pleasing. Whether the tune calls for swing or funk, the Crusaders deliver very tight, very clean performances. That means in the groove, on the key, with great handoffs between players. I guess I'd summarize it as "the original type of Crusaders music performed by guys with 20 years more polish."

If you're expecting to hear a "new" album from the Crusaders of 15-20 years ago, you'll be a bit disappointed, as at least one reviewer seems to have been. Time, and these musicians, have not stood still. They've gotten better, and this album is a fine one.

I've been a fan of the Crusaders since I first saw them in 1976 and have purchased and memorized all of their recordings. The last few recordings they released have had some enjoyable moments and nice touches (except for Ghetto Blaster - yikes!), but I missed the down-home, Texas blues and grooves they created on their early-to-mid career recordings.

Well, I'm VERY happy to say that after listening to Urban Renewal a few times my missin' has gone away. This release is full of that unmistakable early Crusaders sound. Thanks Joe, Stix and Wilton for getting together one more time and returning to your roots.

There are very few musicians/groups whose new recordings I'll buy sight unseen. But when I found out The Crusaders reunited, I immediately pre-ordered this CD. I'm happy to say this recording completely lived up to my expectations. The music is so good it makes you hope traffic slows you down so you can listen a little longer.

One of the things that make this CD so great is the core group of musicians; Joe Sample, Wilton Felder and Stix Hooper. On their own they are great, especially Joe Sample. In fact, if you like this recording, I highly recomend his CD, "Sample This." Wilton Felder has a very unique sound on the tenor sax and his solos are goose-bump inspiring. Stix Hooper lays down just the right beat to keep the groove percolating. Now, put these guys together and you can't help but have a jazz/soul fest the likes of which no one else can match.

Another nice touch to this CD is the liner notes. They explain a little about the history of the group, how it formed, dissapated, then, came back together for this recording.

This is great, toe-tapping, feel-good music. I can't recomend it highly enough.

IT'S BEEN MUCH TOO LONG SINCE THE CRUSADERS HAVE WRITTEN PRODUCED AND PLAYED ANY MUSIC. I FOR ONE AM ECSTATIC THAT THIS PHENOMENAL AND VERY TALENTED GROUP OF WELL SEASONED MUSICIANS HAVE DECIDED TO REUNITE. THE RECORDING THAT OPENED MY EYES TO THEIR STYLE OF JAZZ WAS THE ALBUM "STREET LIFE" FEATURING RANDY CRAWFORD. FROM THAT MOMENT ON I KNEW THAT THIS WAS ONE GROUP THAT I HAD TO KEEP MY EARS TUNED IN TO. I GREW UP LISTENING TO SUCH GREAT JAZZ ARTISTS AS THELONIUS MONK,JOHN COLTRANE,MILES DAVIS,AND SO MANY MANY MORE BECAUSE MY DAD LEFT ME WITH A HELL OF A JAZZ LEGACY AND THE OLDER I GET I HAVE COME TO REALLY APPRECIATE IT. IN CLOSING I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE CRUSADERS FOR A JOB WELL DONE AND LONG OVERDUE.
SINCERELY, GWENDOLYN D. OLIVER

I'm a huge Crusaders fan with 20 of their CDs as my witness. I had high hopes for this CD, but was left wanting.

In the booklet notes, Joe Sample talks about "group renewal", "looking back to beginnings", a "reunion long in coming" and missing "playing essential Crusaders music". Sample's comments and the booklet's history of the group shockingly make absolutely no mention of trombonist Wayne Henderson who was in the various incarnations of the Crusaders from the very beginning!! Where's Wayne? If this CD is professing "A Healing Coming On" , whatever wounds or circumstances that allowed his absence should have been healed and dealt with first to result in a REAL reunion. It should be noted that any Crusaders album recorded after Wayne Henderson's departure pale in comparison to those where he was still a part of the group.

I was also looking for that signature Crusaders sound where the saxophone and trombone leads were out in front driving the music. This recording seems to push them into the background for the most part relegating them to bit players or supporting instruments basically stripping the group of the sound which made them stand out among other groups in the first place.

I can't and won't say that this music is unenjoyable, but for the Crusaders, it seems to be lacking. I can't quite put my finger on it, but the music just seems to plod along and not really go anywhere. It seems to lack urgency, texture, layers, interaction and playing off one another. It seems too safe and "sterile" lacking vitality of the past and seems kind of resigned or flat. I don't think it really qualifies as "essential" Crusaders music as Joe Sample would like to portray it.

Is the music bad? No. Is the musicianship bad? No. But when I want to listen to the Crusaders, there are 19 other Crusader CDs in my collection I will reach for first. Those who seem to really enjoy this CD should check out their recordings from the mid-1970s going back to the Jazz Crusader days to see what the Crusaders are really about.

Although the band consists only of very fine musicians, for some reason, they would not interact musically well enough with each other; The Crusaders were never able deliver a consistent album start to finish; good music here and there; except this time; "Rural Renewal" is the best release ever for the band. With Eric Clapton as a guest guitarist, Joe Sample and Wilton Felder are simply amazing from start to finish. Releasing their first album 44 years ago, these guys are at top of their career today.
"Rural Renewal" is recommended for any new fan that is into Soul Jazz, Crossover Jazz, or Fusion. It is even more recommended for the old fans who thought that the Crusaders's history was over.
If you like this album you would also like
Joe Sample: Old Places, Old Faces
Joe Sample: Ashes to Ashes
George Duke: After hour
The Crusaders: Finest Hour