Remembering the great Joe Sample on his birthday (Feb 1, 1939 – Sep 12, 2014). Joe could play the funkiest of tunes to the most sublime piano. In high school in the 1950s, Sample teamed up with friends saxophonist Wilton Felder and drummer "Stix" Hooper to form a group called the Swingsters. While studying piano at Texas Southern University, Sample met and added trombonist Wayne Henderson and several other players to the Swingsters, which became the Modern Jazz Sextet and then the Jazz Crusaders

VOTE for the next city to host the AllStar Tribute to Joe Sample. Next month December 5-7th at The Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe in Detroit marks the inaugural event. | Joe Sample