Contains essays on Miles Davis, Pharaoh Sanders, Woody Shaw, Jay Hoggard, Bob Neloms, Cecil McBee, Craig Harris, Gil Scott Heron, Chico Freeman, Dennis Moorman, and other contemporary musicians as well as reflections on soul, modern trends, and other aspects of the history of jazz and blues. Also included are poems on music and musicians by both Amina and Amiri Baraka and a jazz musical by Amiri.