Cedric/Introduction

Returning to Houston after several years abroad in Austria on what he calls a "research sabbatical," Cedric Washington blends into the city like he never left. Charismatic, local, approving, almost playful, vaguely numinous, he is every inch a mystic.

Since his return, he's had his ins and outs. As the consummate conversationalist, he's traded introductions and invitations in equal measure to rebuild ties across music scenes, cultural circles, and backroom community boards. His warmth and curiosity have won him many friends, but only a handful of confidants. He's also been figuratively taken apart at least once by the weight of the city's new politics. Beneath it all, he seems genuinely devoted to Houston itself - Third Ward in particular - and to some quiet network of mentors and obligations. As a result, in mere months he's managed to become a familiar name in places most scholars never go, though whether that's an asset or a liability remains to be seen.