Inspired by the traditions of African-American music, critically acclaimed alto saxophonist and composer Darius Jones embraces individuality and innovation. Presented by the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival, fans will have a rare opportunity to see Jones perform live at the NAC Fourth Stage on Tuesday, September 18th, 2018 (his last Festival appearance was in 2014)

A mainstay in the New York Jazz Scene, The New York Times describes Jones as “…The most visceral and distinctive alto saxophonist of this era,”  and dubbed Jones among the Best Live Jazz Performances of 2017.

With a long list of accomplishments and accolades, Darius Jones has also shared the stage and collaborated with some of the world’s top jazz artists, including Branford Marsalis, Gerald Cleaver, Oliver Lake, William Parker, Sun Ra Arkestra, Orrin Evans to name only a few.

For his Ottawa appearance Jones will perform the most recent album from his Man’ish Boy Epic, an ambitious multi-recording of nine albums reflecting his unique aesthetic and cosmology. Le bébé de Brigitte (Lost in Translation) is the fifth album in the series, adding the distinctive talents of French singer and composer, Emilie Lesbros, to sing a rich and varied suite of songs by her and Jones.

By turns introspective, swinging, and searing, the suite – with lyrics in both English and French – is steeped in the histories of jazz and chanson, but reflects a highly personal shared musical language that Jones’s superb ensemble (John Escreet - piano, rhodes, Sean Conly - bass, and Ches Smith - drums) fleshes out evocatively through improvisation.