Saxophonist/composer
Darius Jones
released
fLuXkit Vancouver (i¿¿¿t¿¿¿s suite but sacred)
in 2023 and marked his arrival for global avant-jazz fans. He even landed on the cover of The Wire in the U.K.
Legend of E'boi (The Hypervigilant Eye)
marks the seventh entry of a projected nine in
Jones
' Man'ish Boy project, centering on themes of mental illness and mental health in the Black community. He enlisted longtime friends and collaborators
Chris Lightcap
on bass and
Gerald Cleaver
on drums. These six selections run the gamut from intense, freewheeling avant and spiritual jazz to more directly composed works that are almost songlike.
Opener "Affirmation Needed" is ambitious.
' trio starts in an Eastern-tinged mode before moving off into
Monk
-like lyric statements. The saxophonist begins his choppy, erudite solo,
Lightcap
plays bass like a rock guitarist, and
Cleaver
's insistent fills and biting accents push
hard, and he responds as
drives him on. The affirmation in this strident jam, though mostly improvised, fits the album hand in glove and exudes buoyant musicality. "Another Kind of Forever" commences with skittering, economical runs from
trading fours with
.
is there, but he's underscoring the saxophonist's lines until the two-minute mark as
moves into a kind of moaning lyricism that draws inspiration from
Pharoah Sanders
and
Byard Lancaster
. Its sensual, expansive, and committed, and, in places, incantatory. The lone cover here is "No More My Lord," a traditional song often sung on prison chain gangs. Field recordist
Alan Lomax
captured it at Parchman Farm prison in Mississippi in 1947 and took credit for writing it. The tune existed for nearly a century before he was born. Here,
plays arco drones throughout as
embellishes with crystalline cymbal flourishes and tom-tom accents.
' solo moves across the registers of his horn, alternatively moaning and bleating with emotional power and authority. "We Outside" is anchored by a steady 12-beat bass groove, but
nearly dances on his kit while
plays minimal phrases in the upper register. It's answered by "We Inside Now," a ballad that proves the depth of technique and soul in
' alto approach. A restrained tempo from the rhythm section allows the saxophonist to explore his understanding of the jazz ballad tradition where carefully considered restraint meets the blues. "Motherfuckin' Roosevelt" offers shifting tempos and flavors.
humorously misquotes "Sidewalks of New York" as his rhythm section moves straight toward inquiry.
drops out for their extended interplay that engages post-bop, blues, and even funky rock; just over halfway through,
re-enters with a glorious melody that perfectly fits their precise, elastic groove. There isn't a moment of laziness or filler on
' trio are in intimate conversation throughout and in the process, they discover the heart of the very music they are making. This is a 21st century trio masterpiece. ~ Thom Jurek