Darius Jones: Legend of e'Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye)

As Darius Jones' new album shows, even the most harrowing music can serve as a form of healing, The alto saxophonist has released a trio album that draws from his attempts to deal with personal mental trauma via a daunting musical journey that begins in screams and ends with serenity.

This album is the seventh volume in Jones' nine-volume Man'ish Boy series of releases. Working in a trio format with Gerald Cleaver on drums and Chris Lightcap on bass, this album is Jones' reflection on his recovery from trauma with the help of therapy, and the reclamation of his mental health. The resulting music is heavy and intense, especially in the first half of the project. On the opening track, "Affirmation Needed," Jones' alto sound is concentrated into a strong melodic stream that either sings passionately or roars into intimidating screams. The rhythm section supports him with a jogging drum cadence and relentless bass. Jones' playing has the same general powerhouse effect as Albert Ayler or Peter Brötzmann but with more nuance. It comes out as a thick, urgent sound that barely maintains control but occasionally explodes into a primal scream.

That sound becomes denser and more melodic as Jones sings over Lightcap's throbbing runs and Cleaver's occasional bombs on "Another Kind of Forever." "No More My Lord" is a traditional prison song where Jones cries sorrowfully over bowed bass and rustling drums. It sounds like John Coltrane's "Alabama" at the start, but the alto gets higher and louder with each theme repetition until it explodes into a shattering scream.

From there, the music starts to settle down. "We Outside" is a quietly abstract three-way dance where Cleaver and Lightcap rumble and shift between short alto figures. This resolves into a slow bluesy moan on "We Inside Now," with Jones downshifting into a sweet ballad cry worthy of Johnny Hodges. The closing "Roosevelt" actually comes off as happy with the alto crying soulfully as bass and drums keep an irregular but lively rhythm going.

Even when his playing gets lighter and more conventional, Darius Jones maintains a raw edge in his playing that sounds like he is baring his soul through his alto. This music is compelling all the way through as the stormy chaos of the opening tracks resolves into clarity and joy. It is a brave and remarkable album full of emotion and power.

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