Ashley Slater

Ashley Slater (1961- ) is an American trombone player, best known for his work with Fatboy Slim in the band Freak Power. In 1983, Slater, a former military band trombonist, joined a jazz collective and began recording around as a session musician. Slater can be heard on recordings from bands such as The Rolling Stones, The The and Cardiacs.

In 1993, one of the songs Slater had released with his band Microgroove was remixed by the young DJ Norman Cook. Cook and Slater wound up joining forces as Freak Power, releasing the slow-growing hit single “Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out” in 1993. The band broke up in 1996, when Cook decided to go his own way under the “Fatboy Slim” moniker.

Since then, Slater’s appeared in various jazz outfits and rock backing bands, notably accompanying Hugh Masekela, Debbie Harry and Elvis Costello, among many others.