Alto saxist David Bixler gives a tribute to the poet/musician/educator Langston Hughe on this collection of wide ranging originals. The material consists of a 40 minute title piece, and then four more concise tunes, with a jazz team of Mike Rodriguez/tp, Jon Cowherd/p, Gregg August/b, Elaine Lillios/el and Fabio Rojas/pec supplemented by a string section of Judith Ingolffson/vi, Heather Martin Bixler/vi, Arthur Dibble/va and Rubin Kodheli/cel.
The entire album as a late period Mingus feel, meaning there are moments of deep tradition interspersed with loose and free thinking arrangements and soloing. The title tune mixes some spacey electronics with intuitive soloing by the leader and Rodruguez, all coaxed along by Rojas. The horns are mournful on the desultory “Jusice” with the strings surrounded by percussion on the Hitchcockian “Liars”. August lays down some rich lines as the Bixler solos over the strutting “Moan” and the strings get baptized with Cowherd on ”End”, with hints of electronics oozing in and out. Just like a Hughes poem, the material is wide ranging and provocative, demanding respect and a response.