The Leaders

The Leaders was a veritable supergroup of leftward-leaning, mid-'80s jazz stars. Its front line was comprised of three of the era's important personalities -- trumpeter <a href="spotify:artist:3r0t2sPG17gaUgXDJyJmHf">Lester Bowie</a>, from the decade's most critically acclaimed band, <a href="spotify:artist:0LTIwNcvI31Zf5wwFVRHyu">the Art Ensemble of Chicago</a>; alto saxophonist <a href="spotify:artist:2vCGDtmVCSZoGIarYvJK33">Arthur Blythe</a>, whose Columbia albums of the time almost (but not quite) brought free jazz a measure of popular acceptance; and tenor saxophonist <a href="spotify:artist:0V2fyT9oYJQdsePL7VrfwL">Chico Freeman</a>, who made a series of records that melded the best of mainstream jazz with the passion and originality of the avant-garde. The horns combined with pianist <a href="spotify:artist:20XugxiKfBdgSLOdn7RX8y">Kirk Lightsey</a>, bassist <a href="spotify:artist:4ubqlM8o4mDUo33CnxRFqM">Cecil McBee</a>, and drummer <a href="spotify:artist:4ZLbNcNVwDlb8MqDahiF9e">Famoudou Don Moye</a> to make a pair of generally fine, if unspectacular, records. Like most (if not all) supergroups, the Leaders existed primarily as a novelty. It seems the band was designed more to attract attention than to exist as an evolving creative entity. The rhythm section also recorded independently for Sunnyside as <a href="spotify:artist:3CovMI4zvihwXTKHbyW7CW">the Leaders Trio</a>. ~ Chris Kelsey, Rovi