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.Darius Jones on the Man'ish Boy Epic, Being Called "Punk-Jazz," and AUM Fidelity's 15TH Anniversary at The Village Voice 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.Saxophonist Darius Jones explains why jazz is far from dead at rollingout
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 Release yearArtistTitleLabelNotes2007Little WomenTeethSocketsJones, Travis Laplante (tenor sax), Ben Greenberg (guitar), Jason Nazary (drums)2009Darius Jones TrioMan'ish Boy (A Raw & Beautiful Thing)AUM FidelityJones, Cooper-Moore (piano, diddley-bo), Rakalam Bob Moses (drums)2010Little WomenThroatAUM FidelityJones, Laplante (tenor sax), Andrew Smiley (guitar), Nazary (drums)2011Darius Jones & Matthew ShippCosmic LiederAUM FidelityJones, Shipp (piano)2011Darius Jones TrioBig Gurl (Smell My Dream)AUM FidelityJones, Adam Lane (bass), Nazary (drums)2012Darius Jones QuartetBook of Mæ'bul (Another Kind of Sunrise)AUM FidelityJones, Matt Mitchell (piano), Trevor Dunn (bass), Ches Smith (drums)2012Grass RootsGrass RootsAUM FidelityJones, Sean Conly (bass), Alex Harding (baritone sax), Chad Taylor (drums)2013Little WomenLungAUM FidelityJones, Laplante (tenor sax), Smiley (guitar), Nazary (drums)2014Darius Jones & Matthew ShippThe Darkseid RecitalAUM FidelityJones, Shipp (piano)2014Darius JonesThe Oversoul ManualAUM FidelityComposer; performed by The Elizabeth-Caroline Unit: Amirtha Kidambi, Sarah Martin, Jean Carla Rodea, Kristin Slipp (voice)2015Darius Jones QuartetLe bébé de BrigitteAUM FidelityMitchell (piano), Conly (bass), Pascal Niggenkemper (bass), Smith (drums), ft. Emilie Lesbros (voice, piano)2021Darius JonesRaw Demoon Alchemy (A Lone Operation)Northern SpySolo2023Darius JonesfLuXkit Vancouver (-i-t-s suite but sacred)Northern Spy / WeJazzComposer, Darius Jones (alto saxophone) with Gerald Cleaver (drums), Jesse Zubot (violin), Josh Zubot (violin), Peggy Lee (cello), James Meger (bass)2024Darius JonesLegend of E'boi (The Hypervigilant Eye)AUM Fidelity Composer, Darius Jones (alto saxophone) with Gerald Cleaver (drums), Chris Lightcap (bass)
As sideman ReleaseLeaderTitleLabel2023Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the GardenConstellation Records2021HopeNorthern Spy2020Slipknots Through a Looking GlassPyroclastic Records2019Barn SongsNorthern Spy2016Between Nothingness and InfinityLaborie Jazz2014In Memory of Things Yet SeenClean Feed2013Life in the Sugar Candle MinesNorthern Spy2010Earth's OrbitNoBusiness2013Absolute HorizonNoBusiness2013The Sabir Mateen Jubilee EnsembleNot Two2013Essence of EllingtonCentering2010BetweenwhileAUM Fidelity2013Songs from the GroundFresh Sound New Talent2012Songs for Four Cities Skycap
References
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