An early fusion entry into the jam band scene, the Slip have a sparse sound that varies greatly from recording to recording and show to show, relying mainly on changes in room feel to dictate the shape of the music. The band's self-proclaimed mission is to "bring jazz back to the dancehall." Founded in the early '90s at the Tabor Academy, a New England boarding school, the Slip in its original incarnation featured none of its current members nor any of its repertoire. Originally a classic rock cover band, the Slip -- including guitarist Jon Myers -- was eventually joined by the Barr brothers: Brad Barr on guitar and vocals and Andrew Barr on drums and percussion. After Brad's graduation in 1995, Andrew met up with bassist Marc Friedman in one of the school's jazz ensembles. When Brad returned from Colorado a year later, he began to play out with Myers, Friedman, and Andrew, concentrating mainly on original fusion-based material. Gradually, Myers phased out and the remaining trio enrolled at the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston, MA. As the band grew, members dropped out of Berklee to concentrate on playing professionally. By 1996, they had refined their original sound into a finely honed stripped-down version of the minimalist psychedelic jazz found on Miles Davis' seminal Bitches Brew. Following the recording of their self-released debut, From the Gecko, in 1996, the Slip began their cycle of nearly perpetual touring. Through constant gigging, the band won many supporters among fans and fellow musicians. Following a trip to Africa, Andrew Barr introduced a wide array of exotic percussion into his setup, which notably expanded the band's textural palette. The band would often begin its performances with nearly silent improvisations and invocations based around Andrew's percussion. During a stint on the www.jambands.com-sponsored tour in the spring of 1999, Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks saw the band in concert. After jamming with them, he signed the band to his new Flying Frog Records imprint. Later that summer, they recorded Does, which was released a year later, in the summer of 2000. Through various trips to the West Coast, the bandmembers found musical compadres in Seattle's the Living Daylights, with whom they collaborated on a release titled Live at High Sierra, credited to the Slipping Daylights. By 2001, the band had toured Japan and was playing sold-out headlining shows in N.Y.C.; inking a deal with Rykodisc came next. Recorded in Phish's barn, the Slip issued Angels Come on Time in summer 2002. The Slip continued growing sonically over the next few years, expanding their instrumentation by drawing on influences ranging from Can and U2 to Built to Spill and the Postal Service. A companion live set was issued in 2003 on their own 216 Records, containing the albums Aliveacoustic and Alivelectric. Together, the albums showcased the different faces of the band; the former captured an intimate, unplugged set, and the latter highlighted the band's use of broad instrumentation using analog and digital effects. With more time spent in their home studio, the Slip continued to innovate and move further away from their initial sound. In March 2005, the group began work on its dynamic fourth studio album with co-producer Mark Ellard; its first single, "Even Rats," was featured in the Playstation 2 game Guitar Hero. The band performed throughout the spring of 2005 under the moniker Surprise Me Mr. Davis, featuring Nathan Moore on vocals and guitar; they also continued to perform -- sometimes in two-band shows along with Apollo Sunshine -- using their original name of the Slip. ~ Jesse Jarnow, All Music Guide