It had been over a decade since Ornette Coleman had worked with his Free Jazz Double Quartet, nine years since John Coltrane assembled his Ascension band, and six since the first Jazz Composers' Orchestra Association was formed and whose first records were issued (a couple of members of that band also performing with Rivers on this record) and the compositions for what eventually became Crystals were written between 1959 and 1972.

It was re-released in CD form in 2002 (with Rivers' original liner notes), and available for three years through Universal Distribution.

[2] The compositions were recorded over a period of five or six hours[3] by an ensemble sometimes reported as 14 musicians: 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, tuba, 5 reeds, bass, and 2 drummers.

Other musicians listed in the vinyl liner notes were present in rehearsals (and their contributions incorporated in the final results) but not the recording.

Jazz critic Thom Jurek wrote: “Musically, this is the mature Sam Rivers speaking from the wide base of his knowledge as a composer, improviser and conceptualist.”[7] Including Rivers, this big band numbers 'sixty-four' musicians,[8] including: Credits from AllMusic include 62 musicians (not including Maker):[9] Flugelhorn, trumpet Trombone Tuba Horn Flute, saxophone Woodwinds Bass violin Percussion Production