Deaf Angles from Deaf Angles by Sarah Marie Hughes

Deaf Angles was recorded on December 15, 2025 at Rhizome in Takoma Park, Washington DC. This half hour solo set opened for the phenomenal El Mantis and a hypnotic project by saxophonist, Mark Cisneros.

What I find amazing about this recording is that although I was nearly deaf from an ongoing sinus congestion issue that had started that week, I was able to retain a feeling of unbroken flow. I had practiced half deaf at home in Baltimore and relied upon the energy and process I had decided that I wanted for that set. The energy was that of firm resignation to my weakened ability to hear and the process was to try my best to use premeditated compositional elements and earnest interaction with the pedal to create a single piece with true fidelity. The sickness itself was inspiration for the surreal content of the set-- as anybody who knows me personally could guess, the circumstances of the illness were sudden, mysterious, frustrating, and surly a sign of the extreme stress overtaking the country under the leadership of the controversial titan, President Donald Trump.

Musicians present included Danny Kamins, Andrew Martinez, Angel Garcia, Mark Cisneros, Nate Scheible, Layne Garrett, and Nik Francis, among others. I want to give credit to these artists, Jim Thomson, and the audience at Rhizome for their engagement, as I could guess this was what made up for my deficit of hearing. Many thanks, as always.

Sarah Marie Hughes is a saxophonist and improvising artist.

sarahmariehughes.com