“Folks always come up to me and say, ‘I’ve got the perfect title for your next album… You should call it “Sample This.” Well, I finally have an album that I feel suits that title. It’s the perfect blend of material. It’s definitely not a compilation. It’s more likely a first in modern recording. Classical composers always took a second or third look at their favorite compositions and revised them. You can say that ‘Sample This’ is a collection of my favorite compositions that lend themselves to a current updating.” –  Joe Sample on Sample This 

After spending the better part of a year gracing the upper regions of the jazz charts with his Old Places, Old Faces, and having his single “Hippies On A Corner” reach No. 2 (No. 6 for the year) on R&R’s NAC charts, Joe Sample is back with his sixth Warner Bros. Records Jazz solo release, Sample This. 

Produced by George Duke and co-produced by the artist himself, Sample This is a completely new take on some of the timeless compositions of Joe Sample. Freshly revisited are seven songs from his solo work (“Rainbow Seeker II,” “I’m Coming Back Again,” “Carmel,” “Night Flight,” “In All My Wildest Dreams,” “Fly With Wings Of Love,” “Melodies Of Love”) and seven from his Crusaders recordings (“Chain Reaction,” “Soul Shadows,” “Free As The Wind,” “Snowflake,” “It Happens Everyday,” “Street Life,” and “Put It Where You Want It”), plus a tribute piece featuring Sample on Jelly Roll Morton’s “Shreveport Stomp.” 

This material spans the period between 1970 and 1982. Songs culled from Sample’s solo excursions largely feature Jay Anderson on bass and Lenny Castro on percussion and drums, while what were originally Crusaders cuts are re-created with Marcus Miller on bass, Steve Gadd on drums and Castro on percussion, Dean Parks‘ impeccable guitar work provides a foundation of harmonic rhythm throughout. Other special appearances include the album’s producer George Duke on synthesizers, mini Moog and Efx, Hubert Laws on flute, Everette Harp on alto sax with lead vocals by Dianne Reeves and Dennis Rowland and backing vocals by Lynn Davis, Lori Perry, and Jim Gilstrap. All told, Sample This is comprised of 74 minutes of matchless music performed by Joe Sample and an ensemble of exceptional artists who routinely deliver the kind of instrumental and vocal perfection that Sample devotees have come to anticipate and expect. 

Texas born, Joe Sample possesses musical sensibilities firmly rooted in gospel, soul, bebop, blues, Latin and classical music. He began playing piano at age five, and by 14 was certain of his life’s destiny as a professional musician. After graduating from Wheatly High School and spending three years at Texas Southern University in Houston, Sample, along with bassist and saxophonist Wilton Felder, trombonist Wayne Henderson and drummer Stix Hooper, headed for L.A. to carve out a niche in the musical landscape and a place in jazz history. They called themselves the Jazz Crusaders, and later, merely the Crusaders. 

The Crusaders reached far beyond jazz over the years, collecting gold and platinum records along the way.

Joe Sample had concurrently embarked on a solo career in ’78, and has accrued a number of chart-topping jazz hits, including: Carmel, Rainbow Seeker, Voices In The Rain, his ’89 Warner Bros. debut recording Spellbound, 1990’s Ashes To Ashes, and Invitation in ’93. 

With a nod to the Northridge earthquake and to “music that moves you,” Sample and the Soul Committee released Did You Feel That? in late ’94. The following year he shook things up with a hit record: Tupac Shakur‘s “Dear Mama,” which prominently featured multiple samples of his song “In All My Wildest Dreams,” from Rainbow Seeker only one of many of the artist’s works being accessed by rappers these days. He is currently one of the most-sampled artists around.

In ’96 he took a trip to visit Old Places, Old Faces, revealing personal memories and experiences, as well as paying tribute to those who had influenced and shaped his outlook and music. He spent the remainder of the year touring in support of the album and working on two musical theater projects which are still in process. He also took time out to go through his impressive catalog of music, looking for just the right songs for Sample This. 

“Every song needed to turn me on,” declares Sample. “The concept was to go back and come up with brand new versions. I was looking for songs that would be good with the acoustic trio (Jay Anderson and Lenny Castro) and other songs that would work with the electric trio (Marcus Miller & Steve Gadd).” Some songs that were originally recorded acoustic became electric and vice versa. 

“I initially came up with 26 pieces and ultimately got it down to 14. I wanted music that left listeners as enriched by emotion as when they originally heard the music…that is to say, ‘classic’ music. 

“I knew each of these songs had a basic character that we could lose or destroy. What I was happy and excited about is that we captured the character of the original music and yet performed it in some cases in a radically different way. “Street Life” was originally a vocal piece I did with the Crusaders featuring Randy Crawford.” This time around, the pop/r&b/jazz hit features Rhodes, synthesizers, electric bass and electric guitar with background vocals. Sample asserts, “It’s as exciting to me as the original version. All the songs were, in fact, just waiting. . . willing to be reshaped.” 

Acclaimed producer/composer/artist and arranger George Duke joined in that reshaping process. His stamp as a producer – one that can’t be pinned down to any one genre and who constantly surprises and entertains – is a perfect match for Sample’s innovative and eclectic approach. Sample remarks, “The great thing about working with George Duke is that we have known each other for so many years and are good friends. When he was underage, he would come into jazz clubs and hang out with the Crusaders. He has always been familiar with me and my music, and the fact that he was so close to the music made this a very unique and rewarding experience.”

Joe Sample looks at the album as “the perfectly put together sequence.” The album begins with the compelling energy of “Rainbow Seeker,” and is highlighted by some of Sample’s most celebrated compositions, including the mysterious and powerful “Carmel,” the sophisticated “Soul Shadows,” and the very funky “Put It Where You Want It.” Each one, replete with playful time changes, inventive harmonics, and above all, enduring melodies. 

On the album’s closer, “Shreveport Stomp,” Sample continues the album’s theme of revisiting classic recordings–this time one of Jelly Roll Morton’s. “It’s a tribute to the musicians and the style. Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton’s music filled my house when I was a child. It was my first inspiration and I love it so much. Morton’s piano style was one of the most natural; the feeling and excitement created, touches me so deeply. My Creole roots run deep!” 

And Joe Sample follows in that tradition of creating music that is emotionally rich and stands the test of time. He was inspired by legendary artists and has become one himself. Along with the release of this album, he is touring with a new band aptly called “Legends,” with a lineup that includes David Sanborn, Marcus Miller and Steve Gadd. The guest guitarist slated for Europe is Eric Clapton. “The group is dedicated to the prospect that the rule-of-thumb should be to create recordings that will endure, that will one day be known as classic. That concept of music was the thing that inspired me to become a musician in the first place.” 

It’s also the concept that inspired and characterizes Joe Sample’s current release, Sample This. With his new recordings of classic Sample, he proves that good music, like good wine, does indeed gain depth, flavor and subtlety with time and the right atmosphere. So pull up a chair, pour yourself a glass of vintage Chateau Margaux… and Sample This!

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Top Contemporary Jazz Albums
Week of July 2, 1994

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Top Contemporary Jazz Albums
June 22, 1991

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