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Darius Jones (saxophonist)
American jazz saxophonist (born 1978) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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]
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Life and career
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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]
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Discography
As leader/co-leader
As sideman
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References
External links
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