LifestyleJazz musician Langston Hughes II brings hope with his music

Jazz musician Langston Hughes II brings hope with his music

Saxophonist Langston Hughes II, from Prince George’s County, Maryland, is using his skills not only for entertainment purposes, but to offer hope to audiences.For the past few years, the Langston Hughes II Quartet has brought their winter holiday set to Blues Alley in Georgetown, which is always a sellout. However, in addition to holiday standards in “Not So Silent Night,” on Dec. 22, Hughes and quartet members Lonell Johnson III on piano, Julian Wilson on aux keyboard, Eytan Schillinger-Hyman on bass and Devron Dennis on drums, performed songs to encourage audiences, such as the original composition titled “Cherish the Day.”
“I wrote it right after the pandemic when things were opening up. I was not doing much, and I felt bad about that,” said Hughes. “I wrote this song to remind me that taking time to cherish the day is OK.”

Hughes, now a student at Juilliard in New York, has gone through all of the rigors of musical training: local public schools, the program FAME (Foundation for the Advancement of Music & Education) in Prince George’s County, Howard University, and the Artists-in-Residence (AIR) program, now in its 20th year at the Strathmore Performance Arts Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Also, he was selected as a participant in the esteemed Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Residency at the John F. Kennedy Center.Langston Hughes II performs his annual holiday set “Not So Silent Night” at Blues Alley in Georgetown. Members of the group include Lonell Johnson, III on piano, Julian Wilson on aux keyboard, Hughes on saxophone, Eytan Schillinger-Hyman on bass and Devron Dennis on drums. (Brenda C. Siler/The Washington Informer)During his set at Blues Alley, Hughes talked about deciding to study at Howard and his original plan to major in engineering, before struggling with the decision to follow his heart to study music. Hughes, who studied at Howard under the mentorship of renowned educators, saxophonist Charlie Young, III and pianist Cyrus Chestnut, composed the song called “The Week” to capture his anxiety about what to pursue in college, which he blended with “Mary Did You Know” and “Amazing Grace.”“I usually work in “Amazing Grace” in my performances,” said Hughes, who has a host of local credits such as DC JazzFest and performances at The Phillip Collection. “When I give Julius on keyboards a certain look, he knows I am ready to go there. The song also connects to the conversations I have with my grandmother. She always tells me to put God first.”While at Juilliard for his master’s degree in jazz studies, Hughes has received more opportunities to refine his craft by touring with Wynton Marsalis and The Jazz at Lincoln Orchestra, sharing stages with Rufus Reid, Jazzmeia Horn, Orrin Evans, Nat Adderley Jr., and joining Ulysses Owens Jr. and his “Generation Y” band in Tokyo, Japan, for a run at The Cotton Club. Next up for Hughes is to prepare for his Master’s Graduating Recital, where he will showcase the skills and expertise he has learned at Juilliard. 
“I felt Juilliard was so out of reach. As time got closer, I think the dream became more vivid,” said Hughes. “I’m so grateful. To be at this point at Juilliard is exciting.”For more information on Hughes, go to langstonhughesii.com.

Source: Washington Informer

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