Tag Archives: Red Door

Darius Jones will bring his soul-baring experimentation to Red Door on Friday. Courtesy Peter Gannushkin

This is the third of four articles profiling the headliners in CapitalBop’s D.C. Jazz Loft Series. The Darius Jones Trio will play the series’ third show on Friday at Red Door in Chinatown.

by Luke Stewart

For a long time, contemporary jazz has been codified into the realms of in or out, free or straight-ahead. What is often overlooked is the common tradition, which forms the foundation of the music. Some of today’s jazz musicians are struggling to fuse the two, creating a statement that is influenced by the whole tradition of jazz while also forging ahead. Alto saxophonist Darius Jones has played straight-ahead. He has played free. But he chooses to be defined not by the short-sighted labels of critics, but by his own unique sound – which comes straight from his soul.

“I would have to say that what I’m trying to do musically is combine the mind and the heart,” he said in an email interview. “I want my musical craft to be extremely strong. Essentially that means a lifelong process of study and experimentation. In some ways, I feel it would be a mistake to define my concept because I am extremely open-minded…. Simply put, I am still developing, still learning. I’m still trying to make my sound better and play with a deeper understanding of how melody is rhythm. I’m still working to compose all the ideas that are birthed in my imagination. One core thing that I could say will always be there is my desire to develop organically without boundaries.”

Jones, who plays at Red Door this Friday in CapitalBop’s third D.C. Jazz Loft Series show, was born and raised in rural Virginia and deeply influenced by the roots of Southern culture. He heard the sounds of gospel and the blues regularly, and the music’s soul and depth provided a solid grounding in what it means to evoke deep emotion through sound. Continue reading →