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When you’re hearing Jazz… in your neighborhood… Who you gonna call? The Crusaders!!!

For those of us who are old enough to remember the pop song that was the title track for the outrageous comedy known as Ghostbusters, the name Ray Parker, Jr. will probably instantly ring a bell. For those of you who are younger, you may not recognize the name, but odds are that you recognize the catchy tune. Ray may be best known for that pop ditty, and it raises its head briefly in “Put It Where You Want It” before returning full-fledged as the final song on the DVD The Crusaders: Live at Montreux 2003.

The Crusaders are a band that began in 1960 and Ray Parker, Jr., and his guitar, was an early member of this jazz group lead by founding members Joe Sample (keyboards) and Wilton Felder (tenor sax). The band was a large influence on many bands throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s, including The Average White Band putting lyrics to the aforementioned “Put It Where You Want It” and recording it for their debut album. Steely Dan also borrowed from The Crusaders’ style and sound.

During this 2003 performance, one of many times the band played Montreux, the remainder of the band’s lineup consists of Stephen Baxter (trombone), Kendrick Scott (drums), Freddie Washington (bass) and Ms. Randy Crawford crooning out four of the twelve songs during the 93 minute show, including a slow, peaceful (even more so than the original) version of John Lennon’s “Imagine.” She also sings “The Thrill is Gone,” “Soul Shadows” and “Street Life.”

Ray sings “Ghostbusters” along with some audience participation, of course, but the rest of the set is instrumental as the band jams to “Rural Renewal,” “Carnival of the Night,” “Way Back Home,” Viva de Funk,” the opening song, “Spiral” and the piece that is all about Joe Sample and when he would set his eye on the ladies and go out on the town. “Creepin’” is what it’s called. When he wrote the song, it probably didn’t have the same context as it does in today’s society, making him sound a bit like a stalker.

But, Joe discusses a little history behind “Creepin’” and a couple of other tunes. Ray does the same thing. Although the audio for the music is superb, the mics seem very low when anyone onstage talks. It’s a bit harder to hear the stories behind the songs. The audio is available in DTS Digital Surround Stereo, Dolby Surround 5.1 and PCM Stereo.

The video is shot in widescreen and everything is in English. There are no subtitles or extras. Once again, it would be nice if there were some short interviews, especially if the band has been around nearly 50 years and has made multiple appearances at the festival. Then again, you can’t make everyone happy and you die trying. As usual for the Montreux series of DVDs, there is a nice booklet with photos and a history of the band and the show.

The concert is still a lot of fun with some great camera work, including nice visuals of the robo dogs dancing onstage while the band performs. It’s obvious they have fun by watching their show, hearing the stories and listening to the excellent music. The Crusaders: Live at Montreux 2003 is a nice piece for any real music lover’s collection.

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