Joe Sample

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 band became a major concert draw in the USA, eventually abbreviating their name to The Crusaders.

By the 1970s Sample had become a well known keyboardist and was in great demand as a session player. His work began appearing on albums by artists such as Joni Mitchell, Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye and Joe Cocker, meanwhile the artist was honing his skill as a songwriter and his song 'One Day I'll Fly Away' became a major hit for the singer Randy Crawford in 1980. Sample enjoyed a long and successful professional career and continued working right up until he succumbed to cancer in 2014. He was 75 and left behind an impressive legacy of recorded work.