Observing Darius Jones from afar since his time in the ferocious free jazz unit Little Women, I’ve witnessed a saxophonist, composer and bandleader gather so much acclaim for a very individual, dauntless style of jazz. He’s now regarded as one of the top figures in the raw, progressive area of the genre, each release a chapter of his life’s work, making each chapter deliver some major statement.
For the seventh chapter of a nine chapter Manish Boy book that Jones is writing one album at a time, the artist reveals that he hadn’t basked in his success as a musician because he was struggling as a person. Legend of e’Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye) (AUM Fidelity) is borne out of trauma and mental health impacts Jones has had to endure that are germane to African-Americans. Jones overcame self-doubt and stigmatism to recognize and address this in himself and the music he created for this album is part of his therapy.
Throughout this series, Jones has employed basically different ensembles each time. Legend of e’Boi is a sax/bass/drums setup which he’s used before, but this is his first trio with Chris Lightcap (bass) and Gerald Cleaver (drums). For this set of his originals, Jones asks a lot from the drummer and bassist, so it’s a real good thing he got elites who can carry out tall assignments with aplomb.
Cleaver’s dual rhythm puts delightful kinks into “Affirmation Needed,” while Jones’ honks on his tenor-like alto makes melodic noise that blows hot with a sharp focus. On his second go around, the urgency ratchets up when he tests the upper limits of the horn’s register, mixed with moments of vulnerable prettiness.
After Cleaver’s turbulent drum show, “Another Kind of Forever” settles in on Lightcap’s hypnotic bass figure and Jones goes to work over it, then changes up the pattern that shakes the song out of the groove for the outro. Lightcap’s sorrowful drone provides the backdrop for the unsettled “No More My Lord,” tempered by Jones’ drawn out sax offering a solemn prayer that grows ever more pleading.
Jones deftly lets his bandmates deliver most of the abstract, deconstructed musical message within “We Outside” during the first half of it, ramping up during the second half for a grander impact. The insular “We Inside Now” showcases Jones at his most sensitive, he’s never one to express any more or less emotion than what’s needed. “Motherfuckin’ Roosevelt” traverses along like a medley of spare, impressionistic tunes, the Lightcap/Cleaver rhythm unit more than pliable and perceptive enough to pivot without effort.
The tumult of the first half of the album gives way to the second half’s relative serenity of finding oneself and achieving victory over internal demons. Darius Jones allows that he’s got more battles to fight but with Legend of e’Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye), he’s now on the offensive with his most personal, genuinely fervid music to date.
Legend of e’Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye) can acquired today from Bandcamp.
*** Darius Jones CD’s and vinyl on Amazon ***
- Darius Jones – ‘Legend of e’Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye)’ - November 15, 2024
- Rich Halley 4 – ‘Dusk And Dawn’ (2024) - November 13, 2024
- Vazesh [Lloyd Swanton, Jeremy Rose + Hamed Sadeghi] – ‘Tapestry’ (2024) - November 12, 2024
