Ilett's love affair with Hendrix has found expression usually, and understandably, in a power trio with stalwarts like Daisy Palmer and Andy Crowdy. But to celebrate 50 years since Electric Ladyland blew our minds, Ilett assembled an illustrious big band to reimagine it, track-by-track. Of course, it's a brave man who embraces such a task: Gil Evans' 1974 big band album set a benchmark for a jazz evocation of Hendrix's songs. But Ilett's no mug: he's mopped up much of Evans architectonic shapings, but, by sticking just to Electric Ladyland, he's avoided comparison with, say, Evans' classic ‘Little Wing’. Nor has he ‘merely’ transcribed the original album: he's remained faithful to the programme order, but expanded it to an epic 78 minutes, allowing plenty of space for the band's different voices. So, on a tight version of ‘Voodoo Child’ it's Ashley Slater's muted Big Easy 'bone that dances around Ilett's vox before Figes is unleashed over ecstatic brass choruses. Ilett, of course, gives himself room to rock (he does that whole talking guitar thang on ‘Rainy Day’), but even on the axe tour de force that is ‘Slight Return’, it's Rollins' roogalating trombone that fronts it all out, until Ahmed takes it down, leaving you wondering about that great ‘what if?’ of Miles and Hendrix playing together… but heh, bugger ‘what ifs’ when we have the giant joy of this release replete with a Cubanismo, lustrously swinging ‘All Along the Watchtower’.