"Ask Your Momma: Twelve Moods for Jazz," a performance in words, music and images of Langston Hughes’ kaleidoscopic jazz poetry suite, makes its Asheville premiere at UNCA’s Lipinsky Auditorium 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 25. The performance is sponsored by UNCA’s Cultural and Special Events Committee.

"Ask Your Momma" is Hughes’ poetic and musical homage to the struggle for artistic and social freedom at the beginning of the 1960s. He scored the twelve-part epic poem with diverse musical cues including blues, Dixieland gospel, German leider and Jewish liturgy. Hughes’ masterpiece remained unperformed at his death in 1967. University of Minnesota professors Ron McCurdy and John Wright orchestrated the national premiere in 1994.

Now on tour, this performance features Philip Hey, drums and percussion; Russelle Hoffman, keyboards; Terry Burns, bass; McCurdy, trumpet and flute; and Wright, text.

"Ask Your Momma" links Hughes’ words and music to images of the people, places and events of the era. The multi-media presentation portrays a magical moment in American cultural history, spanning from the Harlem Renaissance to the Black arts performance explosion of the 1960s. The show provides a galvanizing experience for audiences of all ages and tastes.

Tickets are $15 general admission. Tickets are available from the UNCA Ticket Office, Highsmith Center room 27, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m and at Malaprop’s Bookstore Cafe, 55 Haywood Street in downtown Asheville.

For more information and to charge tickets by phone, call 828/251-6584.