Joe Sample, one of Jazz music’s most celebrated and legendary pianists, died last Friday as announced by his family on Facebook. He was 75. Sample’s talent for melody and grooves would help expand the boundaries of Jazz and inspired artists of other genres as well.
Sample, born February 1, 1939 in Houston, Texas, began playing piano when he was just five years old. While studying piano in college at Texas Southern University, Sample formed his group, the Jazz Crusaders, better known today as the Crusaders. Comprised of high school friends Wilton Felder and Stix Hooper, Wayne Henderson was the final piece. The Crusaders were inspired by Art Blakely’s The Jazz Messengers to form their group, working from 1960 until 1991.
Joe Sample also enjoyed a robust solo career beginning in the 1980s, and collaborated with stars such as Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis, B.B. King and countless others. Hip-Hop artists also used some of Sample’s tunes to form the backdrop to some of their hits, including 2Pac‘s emotional “Dear Mama” track. Queen Latifah, Masta Ace, Talib Kweli and even newer artists like Mac Miller borrowed heavily from Sample’s work.
Sample was battling lung cancer when he passed away at his Houston home.
His loss silences the voices of one of the towering giants of Jazz, but his vast discography of music will play on eternally.
Rest powerfully, Joe Sample.
—
Photo: Tom Beetz/Wikipedia Commons/Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
