Darius Jones (saxophonist)

Darius Jones (born May 3, 1978) is an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer.

Darius Jones
Background information
Born (1978-05-03) May 3, 1978
OriginVirginia Beach, Virginia, U.S.
GenresJazz, avant-garde jazz
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsAlto saxophone
Years active2006–present
LabelsAUM Fidelity
Websitedariusjonesmusic.com

Life and career

Darius was born in Virginia. He was raised in the Pentecostal faith; both his grandfathers were preachers in their own churches.[1] He learned to play saxophone in the sixth grade; he played in church by the time he was 13. After attending college for several years in Richmond, Virginia, Jones moved to Brooklyn in 2005. Through a neighbor, Jones met artist Randal Wilcox and they became roommates. A conversation started between musician and painter that led to Jones's Man'ish Boy series.[2][3]

In 2009 signed with AUM Fidelity, which released his debut album Man'ish Boy (A Raw and Beautiful Thing).[4] He recorded with Matthew Shipp, the quartet Grass Roots, and the collective Little Women, a noise jazz band that explores the extremes of sound by using extended techniques and acoustic manipulation.[5] Jones has worked in traditional jazz, electro-acoustic music, chamber ensembles, contemporary and avant-garde jazz groups, modern dance performances, and multi-media events.[6] He has collaborated with Mike Pride's From Bacteria to Boys, Gerald Cleaver's Black Host, Eric Revis Quartet, and Adam Lane Trio.

Darius graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelors in Jazz Studies in 2003, earning a Master's Degree in Jazz Performance/Composition from New York University in 2008. He taught New Music Improvisation there for a year as an adjunct professor.[7] He was awarded the Van Lier Fellowship by Roulette in 2008, which he used to start his chamber ensemble, Elizabeth-Caroline Unit, dedicated to works for voice. He was a two-time nominee for Up and Coming Artist in 2010 and 2011, and nominated for Alto Saxophonist of the Year in 2013 by the Jazz Journalists Association. In 2013 he was awarded the French-American Jazz Exchange Grant for a collaboration with French vocalist Emilie Lesbros.

Discography

As leader/co-leader
Release year Title Label Notes
2009 Man'ish Boy (A Raw & Beautiful Thing) AUM Fidelity Trio, with Cooper-Moore (piano & diddley-bo), Rakalam Bob Moses (drums)
2010 Throat AUM Fidelity As the band Little Women; Quartet, with Travis Laplante (tenor sax), Andrew Smiley (guitar), Jason Nazary (drums)
2011 Cosmic Lieder AUM Fidelity Duo with Matthew Shipp (piano)
2011 Big Gurl (Smell My Dream) AUM Fidelity Trio, with Adam Lane (bass), Jason Nazary (drums)
2012 Book of Mæ'bul (Another Kind of Sunrise) AUM Fidelity Quartet, with Matt Mitchell (piano), Trevor Dunn (bass), Ches Smith (drums)
2012 Grass Roots AUM Fidelity As the band Grass Roots. Quartet, with Sean Conly (bass), Alex Harding (baritone sax), Chad Taylor (drums)
2013 Lung AUM Fidelity As the band Little Women; Quartet, with Travis Laplante (tenor sax), Andrew Smiley (guitar), Jason Nazary (drums)
2014 The Darkseid Recital AUM Fidelity Duo with Matthew Shipp (piano)
2014 The Oversoul Manual AUM Fidelity Composer; performed by The Elizabeth-Caroline Unit: Amirtha Kidambi, Sarah Martin, Jean Carla Rodea, Kristin Slipp (voice)
2015 Le bébé de Brigitte AUM Fidelity Quartet, with Matt Mitchell (piano), Sean Conly, Pascal Niggenkemper (bass), Ches Smith (drums), featuring Emilie Lesbros (voice, piano)

As sideman
Release year Leader Title Label
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
2014 Eric Revis In Memory of Things Yet Seen Clean Feed
2013 Mara Rosenbloom Songs from the Ground Fresh Sound New Talent
2012 Federico Ughi Songs for Four Cities Skycap
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gollark: Yes, that is quite conspiracy theoretical.
gollark: What is it with you and "globalists"?
gollark: Closer to a coilgun maybe, but not that close still.
gollark: No, I'm pretty sure the operating principles are very different.

References
  1. New Hymns for the Saxophone Church at The Wall Street Journal
  2. Darius Jones: The Master of the Musical Allegory at JazzTimes
  3. An Epic Continues: Darius Jones at Jazz Speaks
  4. Darius Jones - For the Love of the Craf at RVA News
  5. Darius Jones on the Man'ish Boy Epic, Being Called "Punk-Jazz," and AUM Fidelity's 15TH Anniversary at The Village Voice
  6. Saxophonist Darius Jones explains why jazz is far from dead at rollingout
  7. Darius Jones at All About Jazz
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