The last album by
Don Ellis'
big band before the trumpeter suffered a heart attack that would ultimately cut short both his career and his life, this underrated set finds
Ellis' orchestra
consisting of seven brass (including tuba), four strong woodwind players, a string quartet, and an enlarged six-piece rhythm section that includes guitarist
Jay Graydon
and keyboardist
Milcho Leviev
. A special highlight is
"Invincible"
which is an outstanding feature for altoist
Vince Denham
; whatever happened to him?
Ellis
composed four of the eight originals including one titled "The Devil Made Me Write This Piece!" This out-of-print Lp is well worth searching for. ~ Scott Yanow