Joe Sample the jazz pianist

[mikeweil]

After seeing Joe Sample mentioned in the thread on Matthew Shipp's rant on Keith Jarrett, I remembered how much I like and appreciate this pianist, but knowing I have too few of his recordings in my collection I humbly ask the esteemed knowledgeable members of this board for some recommendations - of jazzier sides, that is.

I understand Soul Shadows is a solo piano album - any opinions?

Edited July 25, 2013 by mikeweil

[mikeweil]

FWIW, Sample plays some very nice solos on Anita Baker's Christmas disc - this is what reminded me of his jazz chops.

Edited July 25, 2013 by mikeweil

[mikeweil]

I just ordered a copy of Invitation - I love well done jazz with strings, and this certainly is a class job. Who did the arrangements?

[CJ Shearn]

Dale Oehler according to wikipedia. I think he did work on some of the Bobby Hutcherson albums in the Select.

Edited July 25, 2013 by CJ Shearn

[Head Man]

After seeing Joe Sample mentioned in the thread on Matthew Shipp's rant on Keith Jarrett, I remembered how much I like and appreciate this pianist, but knowing I have too few of his recordings in my collection I humbly ask the esteemed knowledgeable members of this board for some recommendations - of jazzier sides, that is.

I understand Soul Shadows is a solo piano album - any opinions?

I LIKE it but it may not be to everyone's taste. Most of the tunes go back to the 20's and 30's but the playing is uniformally excellent. He realy is a terrific pianist.

Richard Ginell at AMG gives a pretty fair review:

http://www.allmusic.com/album/soul-shadows-mw0000701715

Of the few recordings I have by him my favourite is:

But be warned it does have Charles Lloyd on it, who I know can be an aquired taste to some (I like him!)

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I never thought the Jazz Crusaders had ANY weak members (except bass players )

But I've never bought any of Sample's own albums.

Intrigued.

MG

[Jim R]

After seeing Joe Sample mentioned in the thread on Matthew Shipp's rant on Keith Jarrett, I remembered how much I like and appreciate this pianist, but knowing I have too few of his recordings in my collection I humbly ask the esteemed knowledgeable members of this board for some recommendations - of jazzier sides, that is.

Probably a dumb question in that the recording is now over 30 years old, but do you have "Carmel", Mike? I've always thought it was a gem.

[mikeweil]

As I said I don't have any of his solo albums, so any recommendation is welcome.

[mikeweil]

Thanks everyone - I will get Old Places Old Faces at a later date- Lloyd's only on three tracks.

For now I ordered Soul Shadows and Invitation.

[mjzee]

When I worked in a jazz record store in the late '70's, Carmel was huge. But then the Crusaders were huge - remember "Street Life"?

[Jim R]

As I said I don't have any of his solo albums...

I don't see where you said that. You actually said "I have too few of his recordings" At any rate, "Carmel" is not a "solo piano" album, but I guess it was among his first albums under his own name. Edited July 25, 2013 by Jim R

[Daniel A]

Make sure you'll get the trio album with Red Mitchell and J.C. Moses recorded in Stockholm.

[mjzee]

This one's also fairly straight-ahead: Sample, Ray Brown, Shelly Manne. It flies under the radar because the musicians' names aren't on the cover. It may have been originally a direct-to-disc in Japan; in the U.S., it was on Inner City.

[Head Man]

This one's also fairly straight-ahead: Sample, Ray Brown, Shelly Manne. It flies under the radar because the musicians' names aren't on the cover. It may have been originally a direct-to-disc in Japan; in the U.S., it was on Inner City.

Yes, I was playing this today. A nice, straight-ahead trio session.

[mikeweil]

Geez, I have that CD! Just forgot about it, although it was correctly filed under "The Three". Will give it a spin for breakfast.

Maybe I will move it to letter "S" once the other discs have arrived ...

I remember reading somewhere that Oliver Nelson was supposed to lead the session but passed shortly before the date - that's why the CD opens with his tune "Yearnin' ....

Edited July 26, 2013 by mikeweil

[mjzee]

There's a mention of Sample in the Houston Press (a local arts freebie). They suggest nominees for a (hypothetical) Houston Music Hall of Fame:

JOE SAMPLE

At 75, Joe Sample is a Houston legend, but a hard-working one. Fifty years on from departing Houston for L.A. and 40 years on from the Crusaders' groundbreaking jazz-funk album Pass the Plate, Sample is still touring the world, much in demand as a keyboardist and composer. His most recent travels have taken him to Montreux, Switzerland, and concert halls across Italy.

Sample moved back to the Clear Lake area ten years ago, and now spends most of his time at home working as artist in residence at his alma mater, Texas Southern University. There, he fronts theJoe Sample Select Orchestra and works on special projects as well as performing with his small ensemble, the Creole Joe Band, which includes such luminaries as C.J. Chenier and Ray Parker Jr.

The lifelong musician took up piano at age five, studying under renowned classical pianist Curtis Mayo. By the time he was in high school, Sample had formed the Swingsters, predecessors of the Jazz Crusaders, with fellow Wheatley High School students Stix Hooper and Wilton Felder. Also while still in high school, Sample augmented his experience and his wallet by working on the road with master song stylist Ivory Joe Hunter.

But it was Sample's go-for-broke move to Los Angeles in 1960 that led to worldwide fame. After a decade of hard bebop-style playing and albums, the Jazz Crusaders dropped the "Jazz" part of their name and dropped Pass the Plate in 1971, forever altering jazz and popular music. Suddenly, fromZaire to New York City to Paris, the world was the Crusaders' oyster.

Yet each member of the band had other goals and career aspirations, and they began to work as L.A. session musicians. For his part, Sample played and recorded with an amazingly diverse list of performers, from Joni Mitchell to Diana Ross, Tina Turner to Willie Nelson.

Today, besides his busy touring and teaching schedule, Sample is pushing forward with a labor of love — an attempt to stage a theatrical musical based on the life of Sister Henriette DeLille, a New Orleans nun currently being considered for canonization by the Vatican as the first black female saint.