Tribute To The Jazz Crusaders & Beyond

The Crusaders Project is a Berlin-based collective of American and European musicians united by a shared devotion to groove, soul, and musical truth. Rooted in the enduring legacy of The Jazz Crusaders of the 1960s and ’70s, the project is not a nostalgic reenactment, but a living continuation of a spirit—where blues feeling, hard swing, gospel warmth, and forward-thinking harmony meet in deep conversation.
Comprised of Fuasi Abdul-Khaliq (tenor saxophone), Kelvin Sholar (piano & keyboards), Geoffroy De Masure (trombone), Charles Sammons (bass), and Kenny Martin (drums), the ensemble brings together musicians whose lives and careers stretch across continents, generations, and musical worlds. Together, they honor the Crusaders’ timeless balance of sophistication and accessibility—music that grooves hard, speaks clearly, and remains open to the present moment.
Led by Fuasi Abdul-Khaliq, the project carries a lineage that runs straight through the heart of Black American creative music. Fuasi has performed professionally since 1972 and came of age musically under the guidance of the late pianist and cultural visionary Horace Tapscott, through UGMAA (Union of God’s Musicians and Artists Ascension) in Los Angeles. This formative period led to a lifelong relationship with the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, where Fuasi served as assistant conductor, arranger, composer, copyist, and multi-reed instrumentalist. Since relocating to Berlin in 1991, he has become a vital presence in the city’s jazz landscape, leading numerous ensembles and touring extensively throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and Central America.
Kelvin Sholar brings an expansive, future-minded voice to the piano and keyboards. An American pianist, composer, producer, and bandleader, Sholar’s work moves fluidly between acoustic jazz, electronic sound worlds, and large-scale production. His music has appeared on international television and film, prime-time American broadcasts, and global stages. His collaborations range from improvising with the New York City Ballet to recording Fender Rhodes, organ, and synthesizers with Q-Tip, from arranging and conducting orchestral works with Carl Craig’s Innerzone to performing live with Stevie Wonder before thousands. His presence bridges tradition with possibility.
Charles Sammons anchors the ensemble with both gravity and imagination. A world-renowned instrumentalist, composer, and educator, he is equally fluent on double bass, electric bass, and cello. Known for his innovative techniques and wide musical vision, Sammons pushes the boundaries of sound while remaining firmly rooted in tradition. His extensive discography spans jazz, funk, rock, pop, and experimental music, including collaborations connected to Parliament-Funkadelic and touring projects with the Indigo Girls.
On drums, Kenny Martin brings a powerful, elastic rhythmic foundation shaped by decades on the bandstand. Raised in Queens, New York, he studied at the Berklee College of Music and with legendary drummers including Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette, Billy Cobham, and Narada Michael Walden. One of the most recorded drummers of his generation, he has appeared on nearly 150 albums and toured or recorded with an extraordinary range of artists across jazz, funk, pop, and beyond—always serving the groove with authority, depth, and fire.
Geoffroy De Masure completes the frontline with a trombone voice shaped by both classical rigor and modern jazz exploration. Beginning his studies at the Conservatoire in Avignon, he later immersed himself in the New York jazz scene through private study with Robin Eubanks. A pivotal influence on his artistic development was participation in the Banff Centre for the Arts Jazz Program, where he worked under the artistic direction of Steve Coleman alongside an exceptional international faculty. His playing blends precision, openness, and a strong architectural sense of form.
Together, The Crusaders Project stands for continuity and renewal—music that remembers where it comes from, honors the masters who paved the way, and speaks boldly in the present tense. This is the Crusaders’ spirit carried forward: soulful, swinging, and always in motion.