Home »
Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jazz Crusaders: Louisiana Hot Sauce
Jazz Crusaders: Louisiana Hot Sauce
The current band called the "Jazz Crusaders" is really the old Crusaders' trombone-tenor sax tandem of Wayne Henderson and Wilton Felder. They still sound great together, but for this album they were searching for a new setting for their trademark duo sound. The result is what has to be the most pervasive, carried-to-an-extreme concept album I've ever seen. The concept is Cajun cookin' (the album is sub-titled "Music for All Kitchens - Extra Hot!"). The theme is carried throughout the music, the song titles, the cover art, and the liner notes. It almost wears out it's welcome, except that the concept works so well and the music is so good.
Typical is "Crawdaddy," which features a darting horn line (reminiscent of "Chain Reaction") with Dixieland clarinet, hard back-beat, and snippets of rappish vocal chanting. Various new and traditional New Orleans influences permeate the album, right alongside heavy, funky programmed beats on all four, occasional rap, and soul vocals. But no matter the setting, Henderson and Felder are instantly recognizable.
Dionne Warwicj is an unlikely guest artist. Her feature sort of breaks the thematic flow of the album (which isn't a bad thing), but it's a nice tune and it's well arranged and executed. She still has it.
Personnel
band / ensemble / orchestra
Album information
Title: Louisiana Hot Sauce
| Year Released: 1997
| Record Label: Sin-Drome
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
Go Ad Free!
To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to
future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by
making a donation today.