Caught Between Jazz and Pop: The Contested Origins, Criticism, Performance Practice, and Reception of Smooth Jazz. Page: 41

                                
recognized and appreciated his rendition throughout the length of the tune. The Jazz
Crusaders took this popular repertoire and arranged it in innovative and original ways,
thus making it "their own."42
The Jazz Crusaders did not arbitrarily choose their popular music repertoire. The
quality of the arrangements indicates that the group was very particular in its choices.
Joe Sample explains:
If there was no spirituality in the music, the Crusaders were the worst band on
the face of the earth, a record company would say, "Why don't you play this or
that song." So we would sit in rehearsal and we would start playing it. And we
would turn around and look at each other and say, "Man, don't you feel like a
damn fool right now." It was so ridiculous and had no meaning. So why were we
going to do version of something that had no spirituality or values that touched
the origins of our musical souls?43
Indeed, the arrangements of popular songs throughout the Pacific Jazz years were
generally inspired and inventive. They never obscured the essence of the original and
routinely added new musical depth. Their early arrangements from Heat Wave are no
exception.
Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann originally wrote "On Broadway" for a girl-group,
The Cookies. "On Broadway" was revised by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and became a
hit for The Drifters in 1963.44 The perfect diction and laid-back phrasing of the Drifters'
Johnny Moore conjures a romantic, "Gershwinesque" Broadway. The Jazz Crusaders
version, by contrast, dispenses with these romantic pretensions. The Jazz Crusaders's
"On Broadway" begins with the rhythm section playing a double time introduction that
42 J realize that Lewis did not have the luxury of having three horns in his 196os groups. In terms
of musical arrangements, the presence of the horns provides a larger degree of flexibility.
43 Chris J. Walker, "Next Crusade: The Crusaders & Joe Sample's Sonic Renewal," Jazz Times,
May 33, 2003, 85.
44 George Benson was very successful with his own version of "On Broadway" in 1977. This version
was initially released on Benson's Weekend in L.A.

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