AMG Review of Artist Selects

Al Campbell
All Music Guide

Composer, bandleader, and arranger Gerald Wilson compiled this 16-track selection of personal favorites, offering an excellent introduction to his Pacific Jazz recordings. During the four-year period (1961 through 1966) represented by this collection, numerous jazz greats passed through the ranks of Wilson's big band, including Harold Land, Teddy Edwards, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Joe Pass, and Roy Ayers. The compilation includes exploratory arrangements of the Miles Davis composition "Milestones" and Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight" along with noteworthy Wilson-penned originals "Jeri," "Carlos," and "Viva Tirado," which became a hit for the Latin rock band El Chicano in 1970. This a quality sampler for the novice, but will hold no interest for the hardcore collector.