Legend of Eboi (The Hypervigilant Eye)

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 Eboi (The Hypervigilant Eye) marks the seventh entry of a projected nine in Jones Manish 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. Jones 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 Cleavers insistent fills and biting accents push Jones hard, and he responds as Cleaver 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 Jones trading fours with Cleaver. Lightcap is there, but hes underscoring the saxophonists lines until the two-minute mark as Jones 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, Lightcap plays arco drones throughout as Cleaver embellishes with crystalline cymbal flourishes and tom-tom accents. Jones 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 Cleaver nearly dances on his kit while Jones plays minimal phrases in the upper register. Its answered by "We Inside Now," a ballad that proves the depth of technique and soul in Jones 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. Jones humorously misquotes "Sidewalks of New York" as his rhythm section moves straight toward inquiry. Jones drops out for their extended interplay that engages post-bop, blues, and even funky rock; just over halfway through, Jones re-enters with a glorious melody that perfectly fits their precise, elastic groove. There isnt a moment of laziness or filler on Legend of Eboi (The Hypervigilant Eye). Jones 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