My previous recording, Sanctuary, is a musical reflection on places and characters in my personal life that have provided a sense of creative refuge and a feeling of home. With Love and Sadness takes a more expansive view, examining my seemingly delusional aspiration that we can somehow evolve toward a more compassionate and inclusive society. This is balanced musically against the darkness of an ongoing realization that systemic racism in America is still so much more pervasive than I had imagined. The structure of the piece emerged as I was reflecting on the depths of this national crisis during a trip to the Maine wilderness last August. As a result of pandemic-related closures, it was the first time my wife and I had traveled in many months. It felt like a new perspective, at least early in the journey. The shape of this composition outlines the evolution of my reflections throughout the course of that trip.