Frank Wright was an absolutely fire-breathing saxophonist, even more aggressively “out” than Albert Ayler. His playing had a gospel-inflected fervor (his nickname was “The Reverend”), but he almost entirely ignored melody in favor of reed-chewing and atonal screeches. He was particularly fond of heading all the way into the tenor saxophone’s upper register, emitting long, piercing squeals.

Wright’s first album, a self-titled trio date also on ESP-Disk, was gruff and clattery in the extreme. Here, he’s part of a larger band, joined by trumpeter Jacques Coursil, alto saxophonist Arthur Jones, bassist Steve Tintweiss, and drummer Muhammad Ali, younger brother of Rashied Ali. The other horns treat the melodies like fanfares, announcing Wright before he steps up for a fierce solo, but on pieces like “No End” and particularly the nearly 13-minute “Fire Of Spirits,” everyone gets to have their say. Tintweiss’s extended bass solo is actually a highlight of the disc, though the real secret weapon is Coursil’s trumpet. Ali’s drumming is frantic and ferocious throughout, wiping out the landscape like a forest fire.