Misplaced Pages

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

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

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

Life and career

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

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

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

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. Jones was the inaugural Artist-in-Residence and curator for the 2022 MATA Festival.

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

Jones' musical collaborations include performing with Matthew Shipp, the quartet Grass Roots, and the punk-jazz quartet Little Women. 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.

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

Discography

As leader/co-leader

As sideman

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. ^ Jurek, Thom. "Darius Jones Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
6. ^ 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. ^ 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. ^ Mavredakis, Mike (13 March 2024). "Wesleyan in the News: March 2024". The Wesleyan Connection. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
14. ^ "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. 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)".

External links

• Official site
• Darius Jones: From Johnny Hodges to Noise Jazz at All About Jazz
• All Music Guide list of recording credits
• The New School College of Performing Arts Faculty: Darius Jones

• American jazz saxophonists
• American male saxophonists
• 1978 births
• Living people
• Virginia Commonwealth University alumni
• New York University alumni
• 21st-century American saxophonists
• Jazz musicians from Virginia
• 21st-century American male musicians
• American male jazz musicians
• AUM Fidelity artists