Darius Jones Trio – Big Gurl (Smell My Dream)

“Fulfilling (and exceeding) expectations, Big Gurl (Smell My Dream) is a rightfully compelling follow-up to his stunning debut. With another installment already in the works, Jones has set the stage for a winning series of albums designed to document his rise as one of the most impressive and unique voices of our time.” –Troy Collins, All About Jazz

"Big Gurl is a series of stories that burns hot with emotional conviction and technical invention. Another superb effort from Jones, who is taking a mix of top-shelf ingredients and making them over in his own language. And it's righteous fun, lest we forget that challenging jazz can hit these buttons, too." –Jason Bivins, Dusted

"Equally earthy and avant-garde .. intellectually stimulating [though] anything but academic .. Jones can keen, weep, caress – and cut, too. The appealing unruliness to his music coexists with authority." –Carlo Wolff, JazzTimes

"A powerhouse saxophonist with an unusually focused perspective, Darius Jones laces his urgent avant-jazz vision with deep soul and dirty funk." –Time Out New York

“[Jones] seems to have the ability to take in a fair percentage of jazz history at a hell of a rate and come out with something of his own as a result, and that's an enviable skill. When the passion builds, it does so collectively, the three men musically moving with a staggering unity of purpose." –Nic Jones, All About Jazz

Big Gurl (Smell My Dream) was/is the second album / verse / character in alto saxophonist-composer Darius Jones' on-going Man'ish Boy epic, and features his trio with bassist Adam Lane and drummer Jazon Nazary. Given a spotlight on "Chaych!" (a bonus track on Jones' debut), the trio fully owns this next book of Jones' indelible compositions. The session took place in February 2011 following a series of stellar live shows and rehearsals; the band were rather evidently busting at the seams to drop this. On the compositions: Darius' gift for lyrical song shines anew in the gorgeous "Michele (Heart) Willie" & "I Wish I Had A Choice"; his radical rearrangement of "Take the 'A' Train" and the fully original "E-Gaz" are stunning for their ever-compelling forward momentum & invention; "My Special D" showcases the trio's long-form improvisational prowess developed over 3 years playing together; "Chasing The Ghost" is revisited with equal fervor and perhaps even greater intensity.

A scintillating jazz saxophone trio love letter to underground hip-hop, soul, gospel, jazz, blues, rock and all things funky. Soul Power!