Rhapsody and Blues is an album by jazz fusion group The Crusaders, produced by Stix Hooper, Joe Sample and Wilton Felder, and released in 1980 via MCA Records. That album peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard Top Jazz LPs chart.
Guest performances Guest artists on the album included Bill Withers, Sheila E. and Roland Bautista of Earth, Wind and Fire.
Critical reception
Scott Yanow of AllMusic, in a 2/5-star review, remarked, "the group's concept was starting to sound a bit tired..(with) the group's R&Bish music sounding closer to a formula."
Track listing
Personnel
The Crusaders Joe Sample – acoustic and electric keyboards, synthesizer arrangements Wilton Felder – alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, bass (2, 5) Stix Hooper – drums, percussion
Guest musicians Rory Kaplan – synthesizer programming Roland Bautista – guitars Bob Mann – guitars Dean Parks – guitars Phil Upchurch – guitars Abraham Laboriel – bass solo (1) Alphonso Johnson – bass (6) Paulinho da Costa – percussion (1, 5) Sheila E. – percussion (2, 4–6) Ralf Rickert – trumpet (1) Bill Withers – vocals (1)
Production Wilton Felder – producer Stix Hooper – producer Joe Sample – producer Greg Venable – engineer, mixing Russell Bracher – assistant engineer Bernie Grundman – mastering at A&M Studios (Hollywood, California) Tom Hooper – executive assistant Pamela Hope Lobue – production coordinator George Osaki – art direction Andy Engel – illustration Ron Larson – illustration Richard Arrindell – photography
References