JAZZ CRUSADERS, THE - Freedom Sound (Sealed) (LP)

Formed out of the ashes of several different Houston, Texas groups in the late '50s the core four of The Jazz Crusaders - Joe Sample, Stix Hooper, Wilton Felder, and Wayne Henderson - all relocated together to Los Angeles in 1960 and quickly signed a recording contract with Pacific Jazz Records. Freedom Sound is their debut album, from 1961, and a great introduction to their 1960s hard-bop soul-jazz sound. Rounding out their trombone-sax-piano-drums core with killer guitar work from Roy Gaines and the bass of the prolific Jimmy Bond, this is soul-jazz mixed with a taste of West Coast cool and an essential piece of The Jazz Crusaders' extensive catalog.