San Francisco saxophonist and composer Hermann Lara loves crossing musical boundaries. His compositions and play aim to keep the listener fixated on what they’ll hear next. "Rhythm and melody are really just an essential part of my being,” explains the alto and tenor saxophonist. Having been raised in a musical family and in the vibrant and pulsing Mission District of the 1970’s, Lara leans into his roots with a mature jazz sensibility nurtured in bebop and the post bop era on his debut album, "New Mission."