Gerald Wilson has been recognised as one of foremost composers in modern jazz, even by those who are not particularly enamoured by the genre. This work serves as an engaging audio biograph of his music and his life. People who are interested in the history and development of modern jazz will find Wilson's recounting of his experiences highly informative. Wilson's knowledge is immense, given that he is a history of jazz teacher. While there are short musical passages interspersed throughout, the two discs are filled with Wilson's narration. This, as you might, expect, has very low commercial appeal, but from a historic and cultural point of view, it is a very legitimate release. While this release isn't something I'd recommend to everybody, I do recommend checking out Wilson's music in general. There is a quote by Wilson which I thought was very appropriate given the nature of most contemporary music: "if you start using the rhythmic patterns and harmonies over again, you're not creating." With that definition, creativity is not something that Wilson lacks. His integration of classical music (Khatchaturian, Stravinsky) into jazz are what I consider some of the most interesting creative aspects of his work. However, in order to listen to that, I'd recommend one of his releases which contains more music than words. This album is mostly of interest to the jazz lover who has an interest is jazz history and culture.