Darius Jones (saxophonist)
| Darius Jones | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Darius Jones |
| Born | May 3, 1978 |
| Origin | Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States |
| Genres |
Jazz avant-garde jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Alto sax |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels | AUM Fidelity |
| Website | Official Website |
Darius Jones (born May 3, 1978) is an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer.
Darius was born in Virginia. He was raised in the Pentecostal faith; both his grandfathers were preachers in their own churches. 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, VA, Jones moved to Brooklyn in 2005. Through his neighbor in the apartment that he lived in, Jones first met a visual artist, Randal Wilcox. Shortly thereafter, the two became roommates. A conversation started between musician and painter that led to the rise of Jones' The Man’ish Boy epic series, a project that will eventually encompass nine albums.
He signed to AUM Fidelity Records in 2009 and released his debut, Man’ish Boy (A Raw and Beautiful Thing) as a bandleader, that same year. He’s since released other collaborative projects, including a duo with pianist 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. Jones has worked in a variety of disciplines, from traditional jazz, to electro-acoustic music, chamber ensembles, contemporary and avant-garde jazz groups, modern dance performances, and multi-media events. He has collaborated with other artists including 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 also taught New Music Improvisation there for a year as an adjunct professor. He was awarded the Van Lier Fellowship by Roulette in 2008, which he used to launch his chamber ensemble, Elizabeth-Caroline Unit, a project dedicated to new 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.
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