The Kansas City Symphony has released an album of music it commissioned from one of America's most promising composers. We learn about that collaboration, and about the composer's creative process. Then, Langston Hughes lived in Lawrence until just after high school, but still managed to leave a legacy of activism there. A new documentary short film explores that legacy. The Gypsy jazz band A La Mode is featured in this week's Local Listen.
'Langston’s Lawrence' premieres at 6 p.m. on Friday, January 27, at the Watkins Museum of History, followed by a panel with Hughes scholars Randal Jelks, Edgar Tidwell, and Carmaletta Williams. An additional screening and discussion is scheduled for Wednesday, February 1 at the Lawrence Arts Center. Admission to both programs is free.