He leads a sextet with Steve Lehman on alto sax, Mark Shim on tenor sax, Jose Davila on tuba, Stephan Crump on bass and Gerald Cleaver on drums.

[1] In his review for AllMusic, Scott Yanow states "This music will take a bit of patience but it is worth the time for Ellman's music is quite original and subtle.

"[2] The All About Jazz review by Mark F. Turner notes "The creative and exhilarating Ophiuchus Butterfly finds Ellman digging deeper into eccentric and progressive territories with a sextet of like-minded artists with distinct voices.

"[4] In a review for PopMatters, Will Layman says "Ophiuchus Butterfly is reserved in its solo statements, but exuberant in its rhythms and construction.

"[5] The JazzTimes review by Aaron Steinberg states "Ellman still likes his funk and bop, but he’s now thinking in bigger structures, more complicated voicings and in textures.