A devotee of Duke Ellington, pianist Ike Carpenter worked with several lesser-known big bands before forming his own 10-piece unit which, with carefully written arrangements, sounded much larger. The pieces here are mostly Ellington-based, including a radio transcription & an audition album from 1947, plus singles recorded for Jules Bihari. The latter contains false starts & 2 never before released tracks, one with vocalist Hadda Brooks. The CD also features saxophonists Lucky Thompson & Corky Corcoran.