I’ve always heard it said that first impressions are lasting impressions. The first idea that you give someone about yourself will be the one that lingers throughout your association. Therefore, always put your best foot forward, be sincere, be yourself. These are some of the lessons that many of us grow up hearing quite frequently. It is with this in mind that I have undertaken this endeavor. The following album, THINGS TO COME, is not merely a musical presentation; it is a representation. It represents just a small fraction of the relatively few experiences, lessons learned, and people encountered during my life thus far. Good or bad, they have all played a part in some way to shape my own identity and music. Good or bad, I would not replace any of them even if I could. THINGS TO COME also represents some of the directions that I hope to go musically as my career unfolds. In this album I have included mostly original compositions of various styles. However, I have also included arrangements of standards such as ‘ROUND MIDNIGHT; songs of relevance to American and African-American history such as WE SHALL OVERCOME and LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING; and jazz standards with original lyrics and vocalese in the tradition of giants like Eddie Jefferson and Jon Hendricks; tunes such as YOUR SMILE, which includes original lyrics to a Charlie Parker solo on Ray Noble’s CHEROKEE, and FANTASY FOR TWO (based on Cedar Walton’s UGETSU). With an eclectic blend of various elements, this album is accessible to the many different types of listeners out there. -Milton Suggs