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Just saw a line on FB that had no details but apparently the great Joe Sample has passed away. Been listening to Joe for a long time, own a bunch of his records, solo and with the Crusaders. RIP.

Chazro wrote:Just saw a line on FB that had no details but apparently the great Joe Sample has passed away. Been listening to Joe for a long time, own a bunch of his records, solo and with the Crusaders. RIP.

We need to wait for solid confirmation of deaths before announcing them, Chaz, but unfortunately, this post on Joe Sample's FB page looks pretty solid to me:

https://www.facebook.com/joesampleofficial/posts/10152682607074706
Saturday, September 13, 2014

At 9:50pm (Houston,TX time), September 12, 2014, Joe Sample passed. His wife Yolanda and his son Nicklas would like to thank all of you, his fans and friends, for your prayers and support during this trying time. Please know that Joe was aware and very appreciative of all of your prayers, comments, letters/cards and well wishes.

R.I.P.

Joe Sample, Keyboardist and Composer, Dies at 75

Crusaders co-founder transcended genre

By Jeff Tamarkin

09/13/14

Joe Sample, the keyboardist and composer who co-founded the Crusaders—originally the Jazz Crusaders—and flourished as a solo artist in the wake of that band’s breakup, died Sept. 12 in his hometown of Houston, Tex. His family confirmed Sample’s death on the artist’s Facebook page but did not cite a cause. Sample was 75 and was known to have suffered two heart attacks in recent decades.



Sample’s artistry transcended genre. With the Crusaders he moved seamlessly between hard bop and, later, a more R&B-rooted funk that ultimately prompted the group to drop the word jazz from its name. On his own, primarily on acoustic piano, Sample’s lyrical phrasing and crystalline sound could be found on recordings made as a leader and in collaborative situations, including three duo albums with singer Randy Crawford in the 2000s.

Sample was also a prolific sideman—his credit appears on albums by artists as diverse as the Beach Boys, Kenny Burrell, Eric Clapton, Marvin Gaye, Milt Jackson, Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Miles Davis, the Supremes, Rod Stewart, Albert King, Willie Nelson, James Brown, Queen Latifah, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Cocker, Al Jarreau, Aaron Neville, Donald Byrd, the Mamas and the Papas, George Benson, B.B. King, Buddy Rich, Ella Fitzgerald and many others.

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