At a time when raw examples of racial injustice burn through our consciousness, requiring us to reexamine the promise of our country and how we have failed that promise, bassist/composer Gregg August’s timely new recording, Dialogues on Race, speaks directly to our condition. August premiered the piece in 2009 after the election of Barack Obama and then put it in the rearview mirror, but in light of the current upheaval and encouraged by many of the musicians who had premiered it, he decided to revive the piece, with this explanation: “My hope is that Dialogues on Race can in some small way serve as an integrated musical bridge to awareness, and maybe even stand as an affirmation against racism and injustice. Admittedly, these are lofty goals. However, through conversation, community, and art, I know we can work together toward furthering understanding.”
Dialogues on Race, whose music is inspired and in some cases accompanied by powerful poetry that focuses on our racial fault lines, offers an opportunity for sincere reflection on these things, opening the door to a deeper understanding through exceptionally expressive music and stellar performances.
