The all-star band accurately called the Leaders (trumpeter Lester Bowie, altoist Arthur Blythe, Chico Freeman on tenor, soprano and bass clarinet, pianist Kirk Lightsey, bassist Cecil McBee, and drummer Don Moye, although he was always a sideman) developed its own group sound. Performing inside/outside music, the band's Black Saint release features originals by Freeman, Lightsey, McBee, and Bowie, plus an obscurity. The trumpeter's straight-ahead "Zero" is a high point, and all of the musicians play up to their potential. It is particularly interesting to hear Bowie and Blythe excel in this fairly conservative (for them) setting.
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