Joseph Leslie Sample (February 1, 1939 – September 12, 2014) was an American keyboardist and composer. He was one of the founding members of The Jazz Crusaders in 1960, the band which shortened its name to "The Crusaders" in 1971. He remained a part of the group until its final album in 1991 (not including the 2003 reunion album ''Rural Renewal''). Beginning in the late 1960s, he enjoyed a successful solo career and guested on many recordings by other performers and groups, including

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, play ...

Jimmy Witherspoon James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues singer. Early life, family and education Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, and his mot ...

, Michael Franks, B. B. King, Eric Clapton, Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell,

Anita Baker Anita Denise Baker (born January 26, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. She is one of the most popular singers of soulful ballads, especially renowned for her work during the height of the quiet storm period in the 1980s. Starting her career ...

, and

the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successf ...

. Sample incorporated

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

, blues,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

, and classical forms into his music.

Biography

Sample was born in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, the youngest son of Alexander Sample, a mail-carrier, and Agatha (née Osborne) Sample, a seamstress. Sample began to play the piano at the age of five. He was a student of the organist and pianist (Theodore or T.) Curtis Mayo. In high school in the 1950s, Sample teamed up with friends saxophonist

Wilton Felder Wilton Lewis Felder (August 31, 1940 – September 27, 2015) was an American saxophone and bass player, and is best known as a founding member of the Jazz Crusaders, later known as The Crusaders. Felder played bass on the Jackson 5's hits "I Want ...

and drummer "Stix" Hooper to form a group called the Swingsters. While studying piano at

Texas Southern University Texas Southern University (Texas Southern or TSU) is a public historically black university in Houston, Texas. The university is one of the largest and most comprehensive historically black college or universities in the USA with nearly 10,00 ...

, Sample met and added trombonist Wayne Henderson and several other players to the Swingsters, which became the Modern Jazz Sextet and then the Jazz Crusaders, in emulation of one of the leading progressive jazz bands of the day, Art Blakey's

Jazz Messengers The Jazz Messengers were a jazz combo that existed for over thirty-five years beginning in the early 1950s as a collective, and ending when long-time leader and founding drummer Art Blakey died in 1990. Blakey led or co-led the group from the o ...

. Sample never took a degree from the university; instead, in 1960, he and the Jazz Crusaders made the move from Houston to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

. He was a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. The group quickly found opportunities on the West Coast, making its first recording, ''Freedom Sound'', in 1961 and releasing up to four albums a year over much of the 1960s. The Jazz Crusaders played at first in the dominant

hard bop Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop (or "bop") music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospe ...

style of the day, standing out by virtue of their unusual front-line combination of saxophone (played by

) and Henderson's trombone. Another distinctive quality was the funky, rhythmically appealing acoustic piano playing of Sample, who helped steer the group's sound into a fusion between jazz and soul in the late 1960s. The Jazz Crusaders became a strong concert draw during those years. While Sample and his bandmates continued to work together, he and the other band members pursued individual work as well. In 1969, Sample made his first recording under his own name; ''Fancy Dance'' featured the pianist as part of a jazz trio. In the 1970s, as the Jazz Crusaders became simply the Crusaders and branched out into popular sounds, Sample became known as a Los Angeles studio musician, appearing on recordings by Joni Mitchell, Marvin Gaye,

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the " Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before ...

, B. B. King, Joe Cocker,

Minnie Riperton Minnie Julia Riperton Rudolph (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979) was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single " Lovin' You" and her four octave D3 to F7 coloratura soprano range. She is also widely known for her use ...

and

The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successf ...

. Sample was a founding member of the

L.A. Express The L.A. Express was an American jazz fusion ensemble. Members of L.A. Express played on several Joni Mitchell albums, namely ''Court and Spark'', ''The Hissing of Summer Lawns'' and the live album ''Miles of Aisles'' between 1974 and 1975. The ...

, which was started as the backing band for Tom Scott; however, both Sample and fellow Crusader Larry Carlton left after that group's first album. In 1975, Sample went into the studios with jazz musicians Ray Brown, on bass, and drummer

Shelly Manne Sheldon "Shelly" Manne (June 11, 1920 – September 26, 1984) was an American jazz drummer. Most frequently associated with West Coast jazz, he was known for his versatility and also played in a number of other styles, including Dixieland, sw ...

to produce a then state-of-the-art recording direct to disc entitled ''The Three''. About this time Blue Note Records reissued some of the early work by the Jazz Crusaders as ''The Young Rabbits''. This was a compilation of their recordings produced between 1962 and 1968. The electric keyboard was fairly new in the 1960s, and Sample became one of the instrument's pioneers. He began to use the electric piano while the group retained their original name, and the group hit a commercial high-water mark with the hit single " Street Life" and the album of the same name in 1979. In 1978, he recorded ''Swing Street Café'' with guitarist David T. Walker. The Crusaders, after losing several key members, broke up after recording ''Life in the Modern World'' for the GRP label in 1987. Despite the disbanding of the Crusaders, the members would join each other to record periodically over the years, releasing ''Healing the Wounds'' in the early 1990s. Felder, Hooper, and Sample recorded their first album, called ''Rural Renewal'', as the reunited Crusaders group in 2003 and played a concert in Japan in 2004. After Sample's ''Fancy Dance'' (1969), he recorded several solo albums, including ''Sample This'', produced by George Duke. GRP also released ''Joe Sample Collection'', and a three-disc ''Crusaders Collection'', as testament to Sample's enduring legacy. Some of the pianist's recent recordings are ''The Song Lives On'' (1999), featuring duets with singer

Lalah Hathaway Eulaulah Donyll "Lalah" Hathaway (born December 16, 1968) is an American singer. In 1990 Hathaway released her first album titled ''Lalah Hathaway''. After releasing another album, titled '' A Moment'' (1994), it debuted at number 34 on the To ...

, and ''The Pecan Tree'' (2002), a tribute to his hometown of Houston, where he relocated in 1994. His 2004 album on Verve, ''Soul Shadows'', paid tribute to Duke Ellington and

Jelly Roll Morton Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (later Morton; c. September 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941), known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer. Morton was jazz's first arranger, proving that a gen ...

, and pre-jazz bandleader

James Reese Europe James Reese Europe (February 22, 1881 – May 9, 1919) was an American ragtime and early jazz bandleader, arranger, and composer. He was the leading figure on the African Americans music scene of New York City in the 1910s. Eubie Blake called hi ...

. In 2007, he recorded ''Feeling Good'' with vocalist

Randy Crawford Veronica "Randy" Crawford (born February 18, 1952) is an American jazz and R&B singer. She has been more successful in Europe than in the United States, where she has not entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 as a solo artist. However, she has ap ...

. In the mid-1970s, the Crusaders added guitarist Larry Carlton. Sample appeared on stage at the

Waterfront Hall Belfast Waterfront is a multi-purpose conference and entertainment centre, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by local architects' firm Robinson McIlwaine. The hall is located in Lanyon Place, the flagship development of the Laganside Corp ...

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

, Northern Ireland, on 28 May 2000, playing keyboard solo on

's "Deeper Than You Think". This concert was recorded and a DVD entitled ''George Benson: Absolutely Live'' was subsequently released. A studio version of "Deeper Than You Think" was recorded featuring Joe Sample in New York in May 1999 during sessions for a Benson collection that took the title '' Absolute Benson''. Some of Sample's works were featured on

The Weather Channel The Weather Channel (TWC) is an American pay television channel owned by Weather Group, LLC, a subsidiary of Allen Media Group. The channel's headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia. Launched on May 2, 1982, the channel broadcasts weather foreca ...

's "Local on the 8s" segments and his song "Rainbow Seeker" is included in their 2008 compilation release, '' The Weather Channel Presents: Smooth Jazz II''.

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid act ...

sang his song "

One Day I'll Fly Away "One Day I'll Fly Away" is a song performed by American jazz singer Randy Crawford, from her fourth studio album, '' Now We May Begin'' (1980). The song was written by Joe Sample and Will Jennings and produced by Sample, Wilton Felder and Stix ...

" in the

Baz Luhrmann Mark Anthony Luhrmann (born 17 September 1962), known professionally as Baz Luhrmann, is an Australian film director, producer, writer and actor. With projects spanning film, television, opera, theatre, music and recording industries, he is re ...

film ''

Moulin Rouge! ''Moulin Rouge!'' (, ) is a 2001 jukebox musical romantic drama film directed, co-produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. It follows a young English poet, Christian, who falls in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge, cabaret actress and cour ...

'' (2001). The popular "In All My Wildest Dreams", also from the 1978 album ''Rainbow Seeker'', was sampled on

Tupac Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...

's "

Dear Mama "Dear Mama" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from his third studio album, ''Me Against the World'' (1995). It was released on February 21, 1995, as the lead single from the album. The song is a tribute to his mother, Afeni Shakur. In the song, ...

", De La Soul's "WRMS's Dedication to the Bitty",

Toni Braxton Toni Michele Braxton (born October 7, 1967) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. She has sold over 70 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling female artists in history. Braxton has won ...

's "What's Good" and

Arrested Development The term "arrested development" has had multiple meanings for over 200 years. In the field of medicine, the term "arrested development" was first used, ''circa'' 1835–1836, to mean a stoppage of physical development; the term continues to be use ...

's "Africa's Inside Me". Sample died of

mesothelioma Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers many of the internal organs (known as the mesothelium). The most common area affected is the lining of the lungs and chest wall. Less commonly the lining ...

in Houston, Texas, at the age of 75. At the time of his death, Sample had been working on a project, "Quadroon," with singer-songwriter

Jonatha Brooke Jonatha Brooke (born January 23, 1964) is an American folk rock singer-songwriter and guitarist from Massachusetts, United States. Her music merges elements of folk, rock and pop, often with poignant lyrics and complex harmonies. She has been a ...

Personal life

His survivors included his son, bassist Nicklas Sample (with ex-wife Marianne), who is a member of the Coryell Auger Sample Trio featuring Julian Coryell and Karma Auger. He also left a wife, Yolanda, and three stepsons: Justin, Jamerson III and Jordan Berry. Sample was

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, and supported Catholic charities and churches throughout his life.

Discography

As leader

With The (Jazz) Crusaders

* '' Freedom Sound'' (

Pacific Jazz Pacific Jazz Records was a Los Angeles-based record company and label best known for cool jazz or West coast jazz. It was founded in 1952 by producer Richard Bock (1927–1988) and drummer Roy Harte (1924–2003). Harte, in 1954, also co-founded ...

, 1961) * ''

Lookin' Ahead ''Lookin' Ahead'' is the second album by The Jazz Crusaders recorded in 1962 and released on Pacific Jazz Records.Stix Hooper ...

'' (Pacific Jazz, 1962) * ''

The Jazz Crusaders at the Lighthouse ''The Jazz Crusaders at the Lighthouse'' is a live album by The Crusaders (Houston group), The Jazz Crusaders recorded in 1962 and released on the Pacific Jazz Records, Pacific Jazz label.

'' (Pacific Jazz, 1962) * '' Tough Talk'' (Pacific Jazz, 1963) * ''

Heat Wave A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...

'' (Pacific Jazz, 1963) * '' Jazz Waltz'' (Pacific Jazz, 1963) with Les McCann * '' Stretchin' Out'' (Pacific Jazz, 1964) * '' The Thing'' (Pacific Jazz, 1965) * '' Chile Con Soul'' (Pacific Jazz, 1965) * '' Live at the Lighthouse '66'' (Pacific Jazz, 1966) * ''

Talk That Talk ''Talk That Talk'' is the sixth studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna, released on November 18, 2011, by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. It was recorded while traveling for the Loud Tour between February and November 2011, and was origin ...

'' (Pacific Jazz, 1966) * '' The Festival Album'' (Pacific Jazz, 1966) * '' Uh Huh'' (Pacific Jazz, 1967) * '' Lighthouse '68'' (Pacific Jazz, 1968) * '' Powerhouse'' (Pacific Jazz, 1969) * '' Lighthouse '69'' (Pacific Jazz, 1969) * ''Give Peace a Chance'' (Liberty, 1970) * ''Old Socks New Shoes – New Socks Old Shoes'' (Chisa, 1970) * ''Pass the Plate'' (Chisa, 1971) * ''Hollywood'' (MoWest, 1972) * ''Crusaders 1'' (Blue Thumb, 1972) * ''The 2nd Crusade'' (Blue Thumb, 1973) * ''Unsung Heroes'' (Blue Thumb, 1973) * ''Scratch'' (Blue Thumb, 1974) * ''

Southern Comfort Southern Comfort (often abbreviated SoCo) is an American, naturally fruit-flavored, whiskey liqueur with fruit and spice accents. The brand was created by bartender Martin Wilkes Heron in New Orleans in 1874, using whiskey as the base spirit. W ...

'' (Blue Thumb, 1974) * ''

Chain Reaction A chain reaction is a sequence of reactions where a reactive product or by-product causes additional reactions to take place. In a chain reaction, positive feedback leads to a self-amplifying chain of events. Chain reactions are one way that sys ...

'' (ABC/Blue Thumb, 1975) * '' Those Southern Knights'' (ABC/Blue Thumb, 1976) * '' Free as the Wind'' (ABC/Blue Thumb, 1977) * ''Images'' (ABC/Blue Thumb, 1978) * '' Street Life'' (MCA, 1979) * ''Rhapsody and Blues'' (MCA, 1980) * '' Standing Tall'' (MCA, 1981) * ''Ongaku Kai - Live in Japan'' (Crusaders, 1981; GRP, 1993) * ''

Royal Jam ''Royal Jam'' is a live recording by the jazz-funk band The Crusaders with B.B. King, Josie James and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It was recorded at London's Royal Festival Hall. Track listing All songs written by Joe Sample and Will Je ...

'' (MCA, 1982) with

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

* ''Ghetto Blaster'' (MCA, 1984) * ''The Good and the Bad Times'' (MCA, 1986) * ''Life in the Modern World'' (MCA, 1988) * ''Healing the Wounds'' (GRP, 1991) * ''Rural Renewal'' (Verve, 2003) With CreoleJoe Band * ''CreoleJoe Band'' (PRA, 2013)

As sideman

With Gene Ammons * '' Free Again'' (Prestige, 1971) With

Kenny Burrell Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige, Blue Note, Verve, CTI, Muse, and Concord. His collaborations with Jimmy Smith were notable, and produced the 1965 ...

* '' 'Round Midnight'' (Fantasy, 1972) With Michael Franks * '' The Art of Tea'' (Reprise, 1975) With

Richard "Groove" Holmes Richard Arnold "Groove" Holmes (May 2, 1931 – June 29, 1991) was an American jazz organist who performed in the hard bop and soul jazz genre. He is best known for his 1965 recording of " Misty". Career Holmes's first album, on Pacific ...

* '' Welcome Home'' (World Pacific, 1968) With Milt Jackson * ''

Memphis Jackson ''Memphis Jackson'' is an album by American jazz vibraphonist Milt Jackson featuring performances with the Ray Brown Big Band recorded in 1969 for the Impulse! label.

'' (Impulse!, 1969) With Al Jarreau * '' Tenderness'' (Reprise, 1994) With

* '' Midnight Believer'' (ABC, 1978) * '' Take It Home'' (MCA, 1979) * '' There Is Always One More Time'' (MCA, 1991) * '' Reflections'' (MCA, 2003) With Cher * ''

Bittersweet White Light ''Bittersweet White Light'' is the ninth studio album by American singer Cher. The album was released in April 1973 by MCA. It was the last solo Cher album to be produced by then-performing partner and husband Sonny Bono. While many fans conside ...

'' (MCA, 1973) * ''

Stars A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by its gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night, but their immense distances from Earth ma ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1975) With Rod Stewart * '' Stardust: The Great American Songbook, Volume III'' (J Records, 2004) * '' Fly Me to the Moon... The Great American Songbook Volume V'' (J Records, 2010) With

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the h ...

* '' Unforgettable... with Love'' (Elektra, 1991) * ''

Ask a Woman Who Knows ''Ask a Woman Who Knows'' is a 2002 jazz album by vocalist Natalie Cole, with guest Diana Krall, and receiving four Grammy Award nominations. Background Courtesy of the Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra, Cole projects her aura on to songs once recor ...

'' (Verve, 2002) With

Jerry Butler Jerry Butler Jr. (born December 8, 1939) is an American soul singer-songwriter, producer, musician, and retired politician. He was the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group the Impressions, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame i ...

* ''Power Of Love'' (Mercury, 1973) With Marvin Gaye * ''

Let's Get It On ''Let's Get It On'' is the thirteenth studio album by American soul singer, songwriter, and producer Marvin Gaye. It was released on August 28, 1973, by the Motown subsidiary label Tamla Records on LP. Recording sessions for the album took pla ...

'' (Motown, 1973) With

and Eric Clapton * ''

Riding with the King Riding with the King may refer to: * Riding with the King (John Hiatt album), 1983 * Riding with the King (B. B. King and Eric Clapton album), 2000 {{dab ...

'' (except tracks 3, 4, 8) (Reprise, 2000) With

Harold Land Harold de Vance Land (December 18, 1928 – July 27, 2001) was an American hard bop and post-bop tenor saxophonist. Land developed his hard bop playing with the Max Roach/ Clifford Brown band into a personal, modern style, often rivalling Cliffo ...

* '' The Peace-Maker'' (Cadet, 1968) With

* '' Adventures in Paradise'' (Epic, 1975) With Bobby Hutcherson * ''

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

'' (Blue Note, 1971) With

Paul Anka Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his signature hit songs including " Diana", " Lonely Boy", " Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and "(You're) Having My Baby". Anka also ...

* ''The Painter'' (United Artists, 1976) With Boz Scaggs * '' Slow Dancer'' (Columbia, 1974) With

* '' 20/20'' (Warner Bros., 1985) * '' Absolute Benson'' (Verve, 2000) * '' Guitar Man'' (Concord, 2011) With

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpre ...

* '' Can't Hide Love'' (Blue Note, 1976) With

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...

* ''

Diamonds & Rust ''Diamonds & Rust'' is the sixteenth studio album (and eighteenth overall) by American singer-songwriter Joan Baez, released in 1975. The album covered songs written or played by Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, The Allman Brothers, Jackson Browne and ...

'' (A&M, 1975) * '' Blowin' Away'' (Portrait, 1977) With

* ''

Private Dancer ''Private Dancer'' is the fifth solo studio album by Tina Turner. It was released on May 29, 1984, through Capitol Records and was her first album released through the label. After several challenging years of going solo after divorcing Ike T ...

'' (Capitol, 1984) With Brenda Russell * '' Get Here'' (A&M, 1988) With

Melissa Manchester Melissa Manchester (born February 15, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Since the 1970s, her songs have been carried by adult contemporary radio stations. She has also appeared on television, in films, and on stage. Early l ...

* '' Don't Cry Out Loud'' (Arista, 1978) With

Blue Mitchell Richard Allen "Blue" Mitchell (March 13, 1930 – May 21, 1979) was an American trumpeter and composer who worked in jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock and funk. He recorded albums as leader and sideman for Riverside, Mainstream Records, and ...

* '' Blues' Blues'' (Mainstream, 1972) * '' Graffiti Blues'' (Mainstream, 1973) With Joni Mitchell * ''

Court and Spark ''Court and Spark'' is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Released in January 1974, it infuses the folk rock style of her previous albums with jazz elements. It was an immediate commercial and critical success— ...

'' (Elektra, 1974) * ''

The Hissing of Summer Lawns ''The Hissing of Summer Lawns'' is the seventh studio album by the Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released in 1975. The sessions featured backing from members of the jazz groups the L.A. Express and the Jazz Crusaders. The lead singl ...

'' (Elektra, 1975) With

Dion DiMucci Dion Francis DiMucci (born July 18, 1939), better known simply as Dion, is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. His music has incorporated elements of doo-wop, pop, rock, R&B, folk and blues. Initially as the lead singer of Dion and t ...

* '' Born to Be with You'' (Phil Spector Records, 1975) With Ringo Starr * '' Stop and Smell the Roses'' (RCA, 1981) With

Martha Reeves Martha Rose Reeves (born July 18, 1941) is an American R&B and pop singer. She is the lead singer of the Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas which scored over a dozen hit singles, including " Come and Get These Memories", " Nowhere to R ...

* ''Martha Reeves'' (MCA, 1974) With

Albert King Albert Nelson (April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992), known by his stage name Albert King, was an American guitarist and singer who is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential blues guitarists of all time. He is perhaps b ...

* ''Albert'' (Utopia/RCA; Tomato, 1976) * ''Truckload of Lovin (Utopia/RCA; Tomato, 1976) With Lalo Schifrin * ''Enter the Dragon'' (soundtrack) (Warner Bros., 1973) With

* ''

Everything Must Change ''Everything Must Change'' is the debut studio album by singer Randy Crawford released in 1976 on the Warner Bros. label. Background It was recorded and mixed at Hollywood Sound Recorders except " I'm Easy" and "I've Never Been To Me", which, a ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1976) * '' Now We May Begin'' (Warner Bros., 1980) * ''

Through the Eyes of Love "Through the Eyes of Love (Theme from ''Ice Castles'')" (sometimes incorrectly referred to as "Looking Through the Eyes of Love"), is an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award-nominated ballad performed by American singer Melissa Manchester, from ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1992) * ''Feeling Good'' (PRA, 2007) * ''No Regrets'' (PRA, 2009) * ''Live'' (PRA, 2012) With Solomon Burke * ''Electronic Magnetism'' (MGM, 1971) With Eric Clapton * ''

Pilgrim A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the adherent of ...

'' (Reprise, 1998) * '' Reptile'' (Reprise, 2001) With

Gloria Jones Gloria Richetta Jones (born October 19, 1945) is an American singer and songwriter who first found success in the United Kingdom, being recognized there as "The Queen of Northern Soul". She recorded the 1965 hit song " Tainted Love" and has w ...

* ''

Windstorm A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderst ...

'' (Capitol, 1978) With

Johnny Rivers Johnny Rivers (born John Henry Ramistella; November 7, 1942) is an American musician. His repertoire includes pop, folk, blues, and old-time rock 'n' roll. Rivers charted during the 1960s and 1970s but remains best known for a string of hit sing ...

* ''Outside Help'' (Big Tree, 1977) With

The Rippingtons The Rippingtons are an American contemporary jazz group, mainly relating to the genres smooth jazz, jazz fusion, jazz pop, and crossover jazz. Formed in 1985 by guitarist and band leader Russ Freeman, their career has spanned more than three de ...

* '' Welcome to the St. James' Club'' (GRP, 1990) With

Sonny & Cher Sonny & Cher were an American pop and entertainment duo in the 1960s and 1970s, made up of husband and wife Sonny Bono and Cher. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector. The pair f ...

* '' Mama Was a Rock and Roll Singer, Papa Used to Write All Her Songs'' (MCA, 1973) With

* '' Rhythm of Love'' (Elektra, 1994) * '' Christmas Fantasy'' (Blue Note, 2005) With Steely Dan * '' Aja'' (ABC 1977) * ''

Gaucho A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and the south of Chilean Patagonia. Gauchos became greatly admired and ...

'' (MCA, 1980) With

Stanley Turrentine Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note label from 1960, touched on jazz fusion ...

* '' Everybody Come On Out'' (Fantasy, 1976) With

Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), known professionally as Dusty Springfield, was an English singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano sound, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, pop and dram ...

* '' It Begins Again'' (Mercury, 1978)

References

External links

*
Joe Sample
biography at

Verve Records Verve Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simon ...

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sample, Joe 1939 births 2014 deaths African-American pianists American jazz pianists American male pianists Smooth jazz pianists American organists American male organists 20th-century American keyboardists Musicians from Houston Deaths from mesothelioma Deaths from cancer in Texas Musicians from Texas 20th-century American pianists Blue Thumb Records artists ABC Records artists GRP Records artists Warner Records artists Verve Records artists MCA Records artists American male jazz musicians 21st-century American keyboardists The Crusaders members L.A. Express members 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians African-American Catholics 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American musicians