Ophiuchus Butterfly

Ophiuchus Butterfly is an album by jazz guitarist Liberty Ellman, which was recorded in 2005 and released on Pi Recordings. He leads a sextet with Steve Lehman on alto sax, Mark Shim on tenor sax, Jose Davila on tuba, Stephan Crump on bass and Gerald Cleaver on drums.^[1]

Ophiuchus Butterfly
Studio album by Liberty Ellman
Released	2006
Recorded	September 2005
Studio	Brooklyn Recording, Brooklyn
Genre	Jazz
Length	57:37
Label	Pi Recordings
Producer	Liberty Ellman
Liberty Ellman chronology
Tactiles (2003) Ophiuchus Butterfly (2006) Radiate (2015)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[3]

In his review for AllMusic, Scott Yanow states "This music will take a bit of patience but it is worth the time for Ellman's music is quite original and subtle."^[2]

The All About Jazz review by Mark F. Turner notes "The creative and exhilarating Ophiuchus Butterfly finds Ellman digging deeper into eccentric and progressive territories with a sextet of like-minded artists with distinct voices."^[4]

In a review for PopMatters, Will Layman says "Ophiuchus Butterfly is reserved in its solo statements, but exuberant in its rhythms and construction."^[5]

The JazzTimes review by Aaron Steinberg states "Ellman still likes his funk and bop, but he’s now thinking in bigger structures, more complicated voicings and in textures."^[6]

Track listing

All Compositions by Liberty Ellman

1. "Ophiuchus Butterfly" – 6:33
2. "Aestivation" – 6:56
3. "Snow Lips" – 4:09
4. "You Have Ears" – 6:35
5. "The Naturalists" – 1:51
6. "Pretty Words, Like Blades" – 4:34
7. "Tarmacadam" – 7:08
8. "Looking Up" – 7:58
9. "Chromos" – 8:48
10. "Borealis" – 3:05

Personnel

• Liberty Ellman – guitar, synthesizer, sampler
• Steve Lehman – alto saxophone
• Mark Shim – tenor saxophone
• Jose Davila – tuba
• Stephan Crump – acoustic bass
• Gerald Cleaver – drums