On many of the Blue Note 1960s albums featuring Chambers as a sideman, you always felt he’d been chosen for the date because he added something special. This was evident on sessions by Joe Henderson, Andrew Hill, McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter and Freddie Hubbard among others – and especially on just about everything by Bobby Hutcherson. Joe, of course, plays vibes as well as drums, so maybe there was mutual empathy. Now nearly 70, Chambers, who has had so few recordings as a leader, comes out fighting with a superb big band album, recorded live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, featuring his gift as a robustly talented orchestrator as well as composer and percussionist. The fourmovement ‘Moving Pictures Suite’, which opens and closes the album, is quite spectacular in its varied tender and roaring sections and the 16-piece band (handpicked by trumpeter David Weiss) interprets the colourful scores with flair and enthusiasm. The ‘Prelude’ movement opens with a striking trumpet solo by Josh Evans, which almost evokes distant memories of Hot Lips Page and ‘St. James Infirmary Blues’, and all the orchestrations recall the majestic sounds of great black big bands of the past from Ellington and Basie (whose ‘M-Squad Theme’ is the most conventional score, with Craig Handy's lengthy solo recalling many classic big band sax riffs) through to Gillespie. There's an outstanding arrangement of Henderson's ‘Power to the People’, two strong tunes by Max Roach (with whose M’Boom group Chambers played) sung with Vaughan-like vibrato by Nicole Guiland and some terrific solos by Tim Green (alto), Sam Dillon (tenor), David Weiss and Xavier Davis, all kicked along by a timeless rhythm section. A highlight in a distinguished career by an important musician who deserves much greater recognition.