Joe Sample

Working With Willie Nelson: Houston's Joe Sample Takes Us In the Studio

Working on this week's cover story on Willie Nelson was a blast -- and a blast from the past. One minute I'd be typing and the next the phone would ring. "Hey, this is Johnny Bush, I hear you're doing a story on Willie. Why didn't you call me?" Stuff like that just kept happening. Willie's world ... More >>

Cover Story: A Brief History of Joe Sample and the Crusaders

What a badass. As chronicled in this week's cover story, there's a reason why Joe Sample is Texas Southern University's artist-in-residence at the school's jazz studies program -- and why he may be able to reinvent TSU's disgraced reputation. Cover Story: The New Crusaders Joe Sample Attempts to ... More >>

The New Crusaders

TSU restarts its jazz program, tapping into the talents of the fabled Joe Sample and kids looking for a place to play.

Cover Story: Joe Sample Attempts to Bring TSU Back to Relevancy

Teaching jazz at Texas Southern University was probably the last thing on the mind of Joe Sample when the Phillis Wheatley High School graduate returned to his native Houston after tearing it up in Los Angeles for 40 years. But Sample, who left TSU in 1958 with members of the Jazz Crusaders -- whi ... More >>

7 Cool & Cheap Weekenders: A Fistful of Soul, Waylon Tribute, Etc.

Houston's favorite happenin' soul/funk/R&B/rocksteady/ska DJ night, A Fistful of Soul, returns to the Big Top about 10 p.m. this evening. Free. Say happy birthday to DJ Wes Wallace, who has been named "Best Dance Club DJ" by this publication more than ten times, at "Classic Numbers" this evening.

Homegrown Houston - 3G

Upcoming: Blue October, Guitar Shorty, Weird Al Yankovic, Etc.

​Asleep At The Wheel: Sat., Aug. 20. The Firehouse Saloon. Blue October, Iamdynamite: Sun., Aug. 21, 8 p.m.; Mon., Aug. 22, 8 p.m. House of Blues. Bela Fleck & The Flecktones: Wed., Oct. 12. House of Blues. "Dharmageddon" With B L A C K I E, Roky Moon & BOLT, Fat Tony, Tyagaraja, ListenLis ... More >>

Soul City: The Amazing Jazz Crusaders

Black History Month is always a great time to recall some of Houston's greatest musical innovators and leaders. Rocks Off will highlight some of them during the remainder of February. "Hey, let's get back to that down-and-dirty old-school chicken-shack sound" mosaicrecords.com​While Houston ... More >>

The Nickel: A Musical History of the Fifth Ward, Part 4

[Note: Click on the numbers for parts 1, 2 and 3.] Fifth Ward music mogul Don Robey was so taken with Gatemouth Brown's talents that he built his entire Peacock label around him. Robey already owned the Bronze Peacock night club and various other business interests, but it was his meeting of Br ... More >>

George Duke

George Duke, Jazz Crusaders

Houston's Jazz History

Staying Cool at Joe Carmouche's Legends Jazz Cafe

Houston's new downtown jazz digs

Music at the Y, Minus the Village People

Johnny Bush

Honky-tonk hero explores his hardscrabble Houston roots with an autobiography and a CD

The Sample Truth

A legendary Houston pianist works to improve Fifth Ward's schools

The Crusaders

The Nickel Burger

How is a falling-apart Fifth Ward joint turning out the best burgers in town? Adrian's has history.

Family Tradition

Coming This Week

Feeling at Ease

Being Franks

Sample Melody