In October 2007, Institute Advisory Board member Kareem Abdul-Jabbar engaged the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Ensemble to record and perform four original compositions for the upcoming audio book for his acclaimed autobiography titled On the Shoulders of Giants. Excited by the opportunity, the Ensemble began to compose! In December 2007, the Ensemble went into the Music Shed studios in New Orleans to record the project and recorded four tunes including "The Gap" written by vocalist Johnaye Kendrick; "The Shield: He Shall Win" written by Gordon Au; "Adonai" written by Joe Johnson and "Tiger Forest" written by Jake Saslow. We are proud to present these compositions for your listening pleasure!