As composer and pianist Mitch Hampton admits, Hard Listening, his debut solo album on Navona Records, “aims to dissolve all boundaries of style or taste,” while providing an earnest yet sometimes humorous reflection on the questions of society and musical aesthetics. Hampton explains the focus of his compositions is on the building blocks of music – rhythm, harmony, and melody – and their innate value regardless of “extramusical” or sociological meanings. Mr. Hampton has commissioned work for clarinetist Richard Stoltzman, flutist Mike Feingold and the Ciompi Quartet, among others.