| Unforeseen Blessings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1989 | |||
| Recorded | December 19–20, 1988 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 45:10 | |||
| Label | Black Saint | |||
| The Leaders chronology | ||||
| ||||
Unforeseen Blessings is a jazz album released in 1989. It was the third album by the all-star jazz group The Leaders and the second to be released on the Italian Black Saint label. The album features performances by Lester Bowie, Chico Freeman, Arthur Blythe, Cecil McBee, Kirk Lightsey and Don Moye. [1] [2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Los Angeles Times | [4] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |  [5] |
The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album with two stars stating "Other than Lightsey's contributions, this effort is surprisingly forgettable." [3]
The authors of the Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings called the album "curious," and noted: "The pianist plays unaccompanied on the opening track and two others, and is the most prominent soloist. Bowie only has one extensive feature... and there is precious little from Blythe and Freeman." [5]
Don Snowden of the Los Angeles Times commented: "'Unforeseen Session' is more like it. Only five of the 13 selections sport the Leaders' full sextet line-up -- the remainder are solo piano pieces by Kirk Lightsey, brief percussion interludes and what sound like blueprints for future compositions... Mystifying." [4]
Lester Bowie 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.
Arthur Murray Blythe 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 fast, wide vibrato and an aggressive, precise manner of phrasing" and furthermore as straddling the avant garde and traditionalist jazz, often with bands featuring unusual instrumentation.
Donald Moye, Jr., 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 percussion instruments and rhythmic techniques.
The Leaders is a jazz supergroup formed in 1983.
Out Here Like This is a jazz album released in 1987. It was the second album by the all-star jazz group The Leaders and the first to be released on the Italian Black Saint label. The album features performances by Lester Bowie, Chico Freeman, Arthur Blythe, Cecil McBee, Kirk Lightsey and Don Moye.
Fanfare for the Warriors is a 1973 album by the Art Ensemble of Chicago first released on the Atlantic label. It features performances by Lester Bowie, Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors Maghostut and Don Moye along with AACM leader Muhal Richard Abrams.
Thelonious Sphere Monk: Dreaming of the Masters Series Vol. 2 is an album by the Art Ensemble of Chicago and Cecil Taylor released on the Japanese DIW label. It features performances by Lester Bowie, Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors Maghostut and Don Moye with Cecil Taylor guesting on piano, vocals and percussion.
Mudfoot is the debut album by the all-star jazz group The Leaders released on the Black Hawk label in 1986. The album features performances by Lester Bowie, Chico Freeman, Arthur Blythe, Cecil McBee, Kirk Lightsey and Don Moye.
Kings Of Mali is a post-bop/avant-garde jazz LP by Chico Freeman on India Navigation Records IN 1035 in September 1977 and released in 1978.
Spirit Sensitive is a jazz album by Chico Freeman, released in 1979 on India Navigation.
Destiny's Dance is an album by American jazz saxophonist Chico Freeman, recorded in 1981 and released on the Contemporary label.
Two Tenor Winner is an album by saxophonist Clifford Jordan's Quintet with Junior Cook which was recorded in the Netherlands in 1984 and released on the Dutch Criss Cross Jazz label.
Focus is an album by the American jazz saxophonist Chico Freeman, featuring Arthur Blythe, recorded in 1994 and released on the Contemporary label.
Alternate Spaces is an album led by bassist Cecil McBee recorded in 1979 and first released on the India Navigation label.
Music from the Source is a live album by bassist Cecil McBee's Sextet recorded at Sweet Basil in 1977 and released on the Enja label.
Compassion is a live album by bassist Cecil McBee's Sextet recorded at Sweet Basil in 1977 and released on the Enja label.
This is the discography for American jazz musician Chico Freeman.
Heaven Dance is an album by the Leaders Trio, pianist Kirk Lightsey, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Don Moye, that was recorded in 1988 and released by the Sunnyside label.
Spirits Alike is an album by the all-star jazz group The Leaders. It was recorded in August 2006 in New Jersey, and was released later that year by Double Moon Records. The album features performances by a reconstituted version of the band: original members Chico Freeman and Cecil McBee (bass) are joined by alto saxophonist Bobby Watson, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, pianist Fred Harris, and drummer Billy Hart.
Slipping and Sliding is an album by the all-star jazz group The Leaders. 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, alto saxophonist Arthur Blythe, trumpeter Lester Bowie, pianist Kirk Lightsey, bassist Cecil McBee, and drummer Don Moye.
