The Crusaders – Street Life (1979/2014) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/192kHz]

Street Life is a studio album by the American jazz band The Crusaders. It was a top 20 album on three Billboard charts and represents the peak of the band’s commercial popularity. The title track, featuring singer Randy Crawford, was a Top 40 pop single (#36) and became the group’s most successful entry on the soul chart (#17). “Street Life” also hit the disco chart, peaking at #75, and was featured in both Sharky’s Machine, directed by Burt Reynolds in 1981, and Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown, released in 1997.

Although the Crusaders could not have known it at the time, their recording of “Street Life” (which features a memorable vocal by Randy Crawford) was a last hurrah for the 20-year old group. Their recordings of the next few years would decline in interest until the band gradually faded away in the ’80s. However this particular set is well worth picking up for the 11-minute title cut and there is good playing by the three original members (Wilton Felder on tenor, soprano and electric bass, keyboardist Joe Sample and drummer Stix Hooper) along with guitarist Barry Finnerty; horn and string sections, plus additional guitarists are utilized on Sample’s commercial but listenable arrangements -Scott Yanow

Tracklist:
1 Street Life 11:18
2 My Lady 6:43
3 Rodeo Drive (High Steppin’) 4:28
4 Carnival Of The Night 6:24
5 The Hustler 5:18
6 Night Faces 5:10

Personnel:
Arthur Adams, Roland Bautista – guitar
Oscar Brashear – trumpet
Garnett Brown – trombone
Randy Crawford – vocals
Paulinho Da Costa – percussion
Wilton Felder – saxophone, bass guitar, producer
Barry Finnerty – guitar
William Green – saxophone
Stix Hooper – drums, producer
Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar
James Jamerson, Alphonso Johnson – bass guitar
Robert O’Bryan – trumpet
Jerome Richardson – saxophone
Billy Rogers – guitar
Joe Sample – keyboards, producer

Download:

mqs.linkTheCrusadersStreetLife197919224.part1.rar
mqs.linkTheCrusadersStreetLife197919224.part2.rar