May, 1955: The body of tenor sax player Wardell Gray is discovered in the Las Vegas desert, two days after the opening of the Moulin Rouge, the first black hotel-casino in town. There are some questions, but the police file is closed: Gray died of a drug overdose, end of story. Six months later, the Moulin Rouge closes its doors. Now Evan Horne is trying to open doors and files, trying to discover what's behind the rumors of foul play in Gray's death. Drawing on his knowledge of the music, the clubs, and a city that never sleeps, Bill Moody does more than recreate a world: He makes it sing.