Saxophonist, composer, and educator David Bixler talked about his powerful recording, The Langston Hughes Project Vol. 1, released on Tiger Turn Records in January 2025.
In answer to the purpose of this project, in Bixler’s own words he says:
“I chose [Hughes’] poems that particularly spoke to me about topics that I care about. In response I wanted to express the concepts of these poems, by someone who used words so well, by using pitch and rhythm and phrasing; I wanted to use musical elements the way Hughes used the English language to offer something as a protest or a commentary to the on-going social tensions that occurred in the years during Hughes’ life, the same ones that have been a painful reality in recent years, as well as all the years in between.”
This project was inspired by the poetry of Langston Hughes, a key figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Rather than choosing poems about jazz or music, Bixler focused on those that addressed justice, suffering, mortality, and the absence of truth.
He spent time committing each poem to memory and used them as the basis for improvisation, shaping each musical work through pitch, rhythm, and phrasing – this was his musical response to the social issues Hughes captured in his writing.
The music features a jazz quintet and string quartet, shifting between written composition and improvisation, bluesy swing, atonal chaos, and electroacoustic interludes by Elainie Lillios that tie the album into a continuous journey.
Bixler has had a long and multifaceted career. After moving to New York City 30 years ago, he toured internationally with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Toshiko Akiyoshi, and later joined the Chico O’Farrill Afro-Cuban Big Band for a decade-long residency at Birdland, which led to a Latin Grammy for Final Night at Birdland.
If you operate from fear, you’ll never grow
He’s also released previous recordings including In the Face of Chaos (2019), Blended Lineage (2020), and Inside the Grief (2020), each reflecting different phases of his musical and personal journey.
Currently, Bixler is the Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University, a Selmer and Vandoren Artist, and the host of the podcast Liner Notes with David Bixler. He remains active as a performer and clinician worldwide, while based in New York City with his family.
Listen now for stories, wisdom, and inspiration from a true artist 👇
Below is a detailed timestamp guide to help you navigate the key highlights of our conversation with David Bixler:
00:00 How he got into music
06:17 Mentors and inspirations while starting out
12:44 What made him move to New York
16:15 His ‘Blue Note’ story
18:37 His advice for those who get intimidated on jamming with others
22:55 What you shouldn’t do at a jam session
30:07 “If you operate from fear, you’ll never grow”
40:28 Influence of Langston Hughes
49:03 Thought process for improvisation
51:09 Playing for a trio
01:02:48 Music as a conversation
David Bixler’s Links:
- Website: https://www.davidbixler.com/bio/
- X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/bixxlixx
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bixxlixx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bixxlixx/
- Bandcamp: https://davidbixler1.bandcamp.com/
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Congratulations on your “quartermillenial” episode! Really appreciated David’s insight. The entire conversation about jam sessions gave us tons of advice and helpful takeaways!