Darius Jones (saxophonist)

Darius Jones,  Arts for Art - Vision Festival 2024. Photo by Marek Lazarski
Darius Jones
Born (1978-05-03) May 3, 1978 (age 46)
Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
GenresJazz, avant-garde jazz, New Music, experimental
Occupation(s)Composer, Alto saxophonist
InstrumentAlto saxophone
Years active2003–present
Websitedariusjonesmusic.com

Darius Jones (born May 3, 1978) is an American saxophonist,[1] composer,[2] and professor[3] of African-American music.[4]

Jones has been recognized for work ranging from solo saxophone to chamber and vocal ensembles,[5][6] with musical interests including Black music, avant garde music, and experimental music.[7][8] His compositions and recordings have been included in best-of lists in publications including NPR Music,[9] The Wire,[10] and PopMatters,[11] and his live performances have been acknowledged as among the year's best in The New York Times.[12]

In 2024, Jones was announced as incoming Assistant Professor of Music at Wesleyan University.[13]

Life and career

Jones was born in Virginia[5] and graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies in 2003.[14]

Jones moved to New York City in 2005.[5] In 2008, he was awarded a Van Lier Fellowship[15] and earned a Master of Arts in Jazz Performance/Composition from New York University.[14][16] He received the French-American Jazz Exchange Award in 2013[17] and a Jerome Foundation Commission in 2014.[18]

Jones taught saxophone and improvisation at Columbia University in 2017.[14] The following year, Jones received a Harvard University Fromm Music Foundation commission[19] and joined the faculty at The New School,[6] where he taught in the College of Performing Arts and Contemporary Music.[20]

Jones has presented and performed major compositional works throughout the United States and Canada, including during Western Front residencies in Vancouver in 2019 and 2022.[21] Jones was the inaugural Artist-in-Residence and curator for the 2022 MATA Festival.[22]

In 2024, Jones was announced as incoming Assistant Professor of Music at Wesleyan University.[13]

Jones' musical collaborations include performing with Matthew Shipp, the quartet Grass Roots, and the punk-jazz quartet Little Women.[23] Jones has composed for and worked on projects in new music, contemporary and avant-garde jazz groups, chamber ensembles, modern dance performance and multi-media.[24][6]

Notable releases include Man'ish Boy (A Raw & Beautiful Thing), his debut album as a leader (AUM Fidelity, 2009);[25][26] Big Gurl (Smell My Dream) (AUM Fidelity, 2011);[8] Raw Demoon Alchemy (a lone operation), his first solo saxophone project (Northern Spy Records, 2021);[8] and the four track LP fLuXkit Vancouver (-i-t-s- suite but sacred), co-released in 2023 by Northern Spy Records and WeJazz.[27]

Discography

As leader/co-leader

Release year Artist Title Label Notes
2007 Little Women Teeth Sockets Jones, Travis Laplante (tenor sax), Ben Greenberg (guitar), Jason Nazary (drums)
2009 Darius Jones Trio Man'ish Boy (A Raw & Beautiful Thing) AUM Fidelity Jones, Cooper-Moore (piano, diddley-bo), Rakalam Bob Moses (drums)
2010 Little Women Throat AUM Fidelity Jones, Laplante (tenor sax), Andrew Smiley (guitar), Nazary (drums)
2011 Darius Jones & Matthew Shipp Cosmic Lieder AUM Fidelity Jones, Shipp (piano)
2011 Darius Jones Trio Big Gurl (Smell My Dream) AUM Fidelity Jones, Adam Lane (bass), Nazary (drums)
2012 Darius Jones Quartet Book of Mæ'bul (Another Kind of Sunrise) AUM Fidelity Jones, Matt Mitchell (piano), Trevor Dunn (bass), Ches Smith (drums)
2012 Grass Roots Grass Roots AUM Fidelity Jones, Sean Conly (bass), Alex Harding (baritone sax), Chad Taylor (drums)
2013 Little Women Lung AUM Fidelity Jones, Laplante (tenor sax), Smiley (guitar), Nazary (drums)
2014 Darius Jones & Matthew Shipp The Darkseid Recital AUM Fidelity Jones, Shipp (piano)
2014 Darius Jones The Oversoul Manual AUM Fidelity Composer; performed by The Elizabeth-Caroline Unit: Amirtha Kidambi, Sarah Martin, Jean Carla Rodea, Kristin Slipp (voice)
2015 Darius Jones Quartet Le bébé de Brigitte AUM Fidelity Mitchell (piano), Conly (bass), Pascal Niggenkemper (bass), Smith (drums), ft. Emilie Lesbros (voice, piano)
2021 Darius Jones Raw Demoon Alchemy (A Lone Operation) Northern Spy Solo
2023 Darius Jones fLuXkit Vancouver (-i-t-s suite but sacred) Northern Spy / WeJazz Composer, Darius Jones (alto saxophone) with Gerald Cleaver (drums), Jesse Zubot (violin), Josh Zubot (violin), Peggy Lee (cello), James Meger (bass)
2024 Darius Jones Legend of E'boi (The Hypervigilant Eye) AUM Fidelity Composer, Darius Jones (alto saxophone) with Gerald Cleaver (drums), Chris Lightcap (bass)

As sideman

Release Leader Title Label
2023 Matana Roberts Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden Constellation Records
2021 Marc Ribot Hope Northern Spy
2020 Eric Revis Slipknots Through a Looking Glass Pyroclastic Records
2019 Fay Victor Barn Songs Northern Spy
2016 Nasheet Waits Between Nothingness and Infinity Laborie Jazz
2014 Eric Revis In Memory of Things Yet Seen Clean Feed
2013 Gerald Cleaver Life in the Sugar Candle Mines Northern Spy
2010 William Hooker Earth's Orbit NoBusiness
2013 Adam Lane Absolute Horizon NoBusiness
2013 Sabir Mateen The Sabir Mateen Jubilee Ensemble Not Two
2013 William Parker Essence of Ellington Centering
2010 Mike Pride Betweenwhile AUM Fidelity
2013 Mara Rosenbloom Songs from the Ground Fresh Sound New Talent
2012 Federico Ughi Songs for Four Cities Skycap

References

  1. ^ Freeman, Philip (19 November 2021). "The Intimate Worldbuilding of Darius Jones". Bandcamp Daily. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  2. ^ Margasak, Peter (15 January 2016). "Powerhouse New York reedist Darius Jones gives a rare Chicago performance". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Faculty: Darius Aston Jones". Wesleyan. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  4. ^ Morrison, John (April 2024). "Darius Jones: Acts of Creation". The Wire (482): 43. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Jurek, Thom. "Darius Jones Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Cohen, Aaron (Jan 11, 2022). "Darius Jones renews his voice". DownBeat. Retrieved Dec 31, 2023.
  7. ^ Dollar, Steve (Apr 26, 2011). ""Arts & Entertainment: New Hymns for the Saxophone Church --- Brooklyn Jazzman Lives Life in Song."". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved Dec 31, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c Felsenthal, Daniel (Nov 5, 2021). "Album Review: Raw Demoon Alchemy (A Lone Operation)". Pitchfork. Retrieved Dec 31, 2023.
  9. ^ Chinen, Nate (December 2023). "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". NPR Music. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  10. ^ "The Wire 's Releases of the Year 2023". The Wire. December 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  11. ^ Layman, Will (10 December 2021). "The 13 Best Jazz Albums of 2021". PopMatters. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  12. ^ Russonello, Giovanni (13 December 2017). "The Best Live Jazz Performances of 2017". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  13. ^ a b Mavredakis, Mike (13 March 2024). "Wesleyan in the News: March 2024". The Wesleyan Connection. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  14. ^ a b c "Composer Colloquium: Darius Jones". Princeton University. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Darius Jones". Roulette. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  16. ^ Layman, Will (Oct 21, 2015). "Darius Jones, Jazz Bohemian". PopMatters. Retrieved Dec 31, 2023.
  17. ^ "Jazz & New Music 2005-2018 Grantees". FACE Foundation. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  18. ^ "Darius Jones: For The People". Roulette. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  19. ^ "Darius Jones". Fromm Music Foundation. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  20. ^ "College of Performing Arts Faculty: Darius Jones". www.newschool.edu/performing-arts/faculty/darius-jones/. Retrieved Dec 31, 2023.
  21. ^ "Darius Jones in Residence". Western Front. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  22. ^ "Announcing MATA's 2022-23 Artist-in-Residence". www.matafestival.org. 25 August 2022. Retrieved Dec 31, 2023.
  23. ^ Darius Jones on the Man'ish Boy Epic, Being Called "Punk-Jazz," and AUM Fidelity's 15TH Anniversary at The Village Voice
  24. ^ Saxophonist Darius Jones explains why jazz is far from dead at rollingout
  25. ^ Freeman, Phil (June 19, 2020). "The Month In Jazz – June 2020". Stereogum. Retrieved Dec 31, 2023.
  26. ^ Jazz, All About (September 12, 2009). "Darius Jones Trio: Man'ish Boy (A Raw & Beautiful Thing) album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz.
  27. ^ "Review: Darius Jones - fLuXkit Vancouver (i̶t̶s̶ suite but sacred) (Northern Spy / We Jazz Record)".