Where Is "Haiku"?
Robert J. Usher | The Real World | 09/19/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"As Nick DiScala and so many others have so eloquently expressed over the years, Don Ellis' music is in a class by itself. Having said that, isn't it about time for Universal to release Ellis' best album of all, "Haiku"??? I am fortunate enough to have a pristine digital copy of the original vinyl, so I am not deprived of the experience. The bad news is, everybody else is still so deprived. Come on, Universal, lighten up!!!
""
Totally Soaring
Merle T. Schnee | 08/29/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD is awesome. As a lover of jazz, I have been searching for "Soaring" for years. It seems that all copies, including vinyl, had disappeared. When I discovered that it had been released and remastered on CD, I was immediately compelled to obtain a copy. One selection in particular that I like is "Go Back Home." Ellis was a true innovator in the field of jazz, and this work shows off his talents."
Super-sized big band displays its versatility
James A. Vedda | Alexandria, VA USA | 04/19/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Two years after his sensational live album Tears of Joy, Don Ellis took his 22-piece big band - really a jazz orchestra - into the recording studio and produced this gem, for which he composed four of the eight tunes. Although Tears of Joy offers more pure excitement and is significantly longer, this album is cleaner in both performance and recording quality and has plenty of excitement of its own ("Whiplash," "Go Back Home," "Sidonie," and "The Devil Made Me Write This Piece"). It also includes a couple of nice ballad pieces ("Image of Maria" and "Nicole") and an alto sax feature that starts out mellow and builds to an adrenalin rush before calming down to a quiet ending ("Invincible").
Despite being recorded in 1973, this album holds up very well for today's listeners, who may guess its vintage only from the occasional use of fuzz and wah-wah effects in the guitar and electric piano. Fans of Ellis need to have this one, and anyone fond of large-group jazz will find great satisfaction here as well."
