The composer Elie Siegmeister once declared of Langston Hughes (1902-1967) that he was the “most musical poet of the twentieth century”. True or false, this judgement underscores the unquestionable fact that much of Hughes’s poetry lends itself fairly readily to musical setting, and that, for Hughes, music was perhaps a principal inspiration behind his writing. From popular forms to the more demanding jazz and classical repertoire, Langston Hughes found inspiration in the work of musicians. He adored music and took pride in the fascination that his poems and plays inspired in composers and performers.

This collection of songs written by 20th Century American composers on the poet's texts celebrates the centenary of his birth.