THE DON ELLIS ORCHESTRA: ELECTRIC BATH

3.5 stars. I spent a week with "Electric Bath" back in the spring of 2021and was actually just recently surprised to see Don Ellis is on our site. I'm more about being inclusive than exclusive so bring on Buster Williams, Les McCann, Donald Byrd and on and on. The big negative for me with this 1967 release is that it's Big Band music. My dad may have liked it but me not so much. Hearing multiple horns as in 15 horn players on here has never been my thing which is in part why I'm not into orchestral music or Classical music. Now as I've always said there are always exceptions to my musical prejudices and when it comes to Big Band music I love TOSHIYUKI MIYAMA & THE NEW HEARD's "Yamataifu" from 1972. Experimental and dark, it's unique.

Don Ellis is a trumpet player and he's got something like 20 plus musicians helping him out. That cover art had to be controversial in 1967, they blanked it out on RYM. It does look like some art from the classics. Lots of horns yes but lots of percussion too and we also get some sitar surprisingly opening and closing "Turkish Bath" and clavinet 8 minutes in. "Alone" reminds me of some of those theme songs for 60's TV shows. The closer is all over the place so I guess you could say proggy. I like the opener "Indian Lady" for the energy but my favourite has to be "Open Beauty" for the electric piano and flute, this is laid back.

A lot of traditional jazz stuff on here of course, this is 1967 and I just have trouble getting into a lot of it.