''Slipping and Sliding'' is an album by the all-star jazz group

The Leaders The Leaders is a jazz supergroup formed in 1983. The initial lineup of the Leaders was put together in 1983 by saxophonist Chico Freeman and featured trumpeter Don Cherry, alto saxophonist Arthur Blythe, along with a rhythm section of pianist Don ...

. It was recorded in June 1993 and January 1994 in Brooklyn, New York, and was released in 1994 by the Japanese label Sound Hills Records. The album features performances by tenor saxophonist

Chico Freeman Chico Freeman (born Earl Lavon Freeman Jr.; July 17, 1949) is a modern jazz tenor saxophonist and trumpeter and son of jazz saxophonist Von Freeman. He began recording as lead musician in 1976 with ''Morning Prayer'', won the New York Jazz Award ...

, alto saxophonist

Arthur Blythe Arthur Murray Blythe (May 7, 1940 – March 27, 2017) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer. He was described by critic Chris Kelsey as displaying "one of the most easily recognizable alto sax sounds in jazz, big and round, with a f ...

, trumpeter

Lester Bowie Lester Bowie (October 11, 1941 – November 8, 1999) was an American jazz trumpet player and composer. He was a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and co-founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Biography Born in t ...

, pianist

Kirk Lightsey Kirkland "Kirk" Lightsey (born February 15, 1937, Detroit, Michigan) is an American jazz pianist. Biography Lightsey had piano instruction from the age of five and studied piano and clarinet through high school. After service in the Army, Lights ...

, bassist

Cecil McBee Cecil McBee (born May 19, 1935) is an American jazz bassist. He has recorded as a leader only a handful of times since the 1970s, but has contributed as a sideman to a number of jazz albums. Biography Early life and career McBee was born in Tu ...

, and drummer

Don Moye Donald Moye, Jr. (born May 23, 1946), known as Famoudou Don Moye, is an American jazz percussionist and drummer. He is most known for his involvement with the Art Ensemble of Chicago and is noted for his mastery of African and Caribbean percuss ...

Reception

The authors of the ''

Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which were (at the time of publication) currently available in Europe or the United States. The first nine editions were compiled by ...

'' stated: "''Slipping and Sliding'' reinforces the Art Ensemble analogy more than we might have expected, with an emphasis on showmanship and pure theatre that might dismay some listeners. However, the sheer range of musicianship is what sustains this band and there is enough quality playing from just about every position to satisfy even the most finicky." A reviewer for

Jazz Times ''JazzTimes'' is an American magazine devoted to jazz. Published 10 times a year, it was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1970 by Ira Sabin as the newsletter ''Radio Free Jazz'' to complement his record store. Coverage After a decade of growth ...

wrote: "the album establishes something akin to the mid-'60s eclecticism of many classic Blue Notes, allowing... wide-open improvisation."

Track listing

# "Slipping and Sliding" (Lightsey) – 11:17 # "Everything Changed" (Lightsey) – 6:20 # "Fukawe T." (Blythe, McBee, Freeman, Moye, Lightsey, Bowie) – 3:42 # "High Summer" (Lightsey) – 7:48 # "Louisa" (McBee) – 5:01 # "Blues on the Bottom" (McBee) – 10:42 # "Mist" (Freeman) – 6:43 # "Drums Til Don" (Lightsey) – 6:46 * Recorded on June 15, 16, and 17, 1993, and January 7 and 8, 1994, at System Two Studios, Brooklyn, New York.

Personnel

– tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone *

– alto saxophone *

– trumpet *

– piano, flute *

– double bass, piano *

– drums, congas, bongos, gong, chimes, bells

References

{{Reflist The Leaders albums 1994 albums