Darius Jones Shades of Black 10/26/18 Firehouse 12

Was thinking of sitting out this DJ visit to the Firehouse. The past couple viewings were pretty screechy nails on chalkboard type blowouts. Jones sounded like Pharoah Sanders passing a kidney stone. Not that I mind this type of caterwaul, but one has to be mentally prepared. While other groups faded into the background of Jones' fire, this ensemble stoked, egged, and stole some fire. Sam Newsome on soprano sax, Cooper Moore on organ, Chad Taylor on drums, and Michael Wimberly on percussion joined the fray that is Darius Jones' alto sax. The set started with a gargantuan circularly breathed solo from Newsome, it had this jazz fan recalling the histrionics of Roland Kirk. Veteran of the NYC loft scene in the 70s, Moore is usually on piano ( or didley-bo, a bizarre stringed instrument crafted by this renaissance man). On this evening, Moore played organ, bopping and rolling his way through a variety of solos and call-and-response passages. The organ at times sounded churchy, at other times sounded like an avant garde ballpark companion. Imagine Cooper Moore as ballpark organist!...on Pluto perhaps(#stillaplanetdontstopbelieving). Taylor and Wimberly made quite the racket and provided a unifying force to keep the set from completely careening into a cacophonous maelstrom. Jones seems to gain weight every time I see him, on this evening he was wearing a t-shirt that said "Dope & Carefree & Proud & Black". His alto is assured, and moves easily from improvised skronk to collaborative harmony. He seemed very relaxed with Newsome who is a monster.