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

Legend of e’Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye) is the powerful new work by composer & alto saxophonist Darius Jones. His tremendous artistic strengths are to the fore here in a fully committed trio communion with longtime collaborator Gerald Cleaver & the likewise exceptional Chris Lightcap, featuring five potent new Jones compositions and a striking arrangement of “No More My Lord” (the prison song recorded by Alan Lomax at Parchman Farm, MS).

Legend of e’Boi is the 7th chapter (of 9 on completion) in Jones’ expansive Man’ish Boy epic, begun with AUM Fidelity in 2009. Commensurately powerful liner notes by acclaimed writer & poet Harmony Holiday, cover art photography by Jesse Ponkamo, and additional artwork by Risha Rox.

Typical of his work, Legend of e’Boi serves as a larger creative vehicle for artistic exchange. This project is about Black mental health and healing from personal and collective trauma through therapy, community & creative expression.

Jones has received worldwide acclaim over the past 15 years not only for his albums featuring music & images evocative of Black Futurism, but also for his commissioned work as a composer throughout the U.S. and Canada. Jones’ previous release, fLuXkit Vancouver (i̶t̶s̶ suite but sacred), was ranked #3 in The Wire’s Top 50 Albums of 2023 and chosen among NPR’s 50 Best Albums of 2023.