Although
the Leaders is a supergroup comprised of trumpeter
Lester Bowie, altoist
Arthur Blythe, tenor saxophonist
Chico Freeman, pianist
Kirk Lightsey, bassist
Cecil McBee and drummer Don Moye, they fall far short of their potential on this Black Saint CD. Trumpeter
Lester Bowie only gets to solo on a tongue-in-cheek version of "Blueberry Hill," and both
Blythe and
Freeman are very underutilized throughout the date. Pianist
Lightsey is the dominant player on the 13 sketches, taking "In a Minute," "Now a Minute" and "Lightish" as unaccompanied solos, "Lucia" as a ballad for the trio and soloing throughout much of the 9½ minutes of "Heaven Dance." Otherwise there is an unfinished quality to many of the selections, eight of which are under three minutes in length. Other than
Lightsey's contributions, this effort is surprisingly forgettable. ~ Scott Yanow