fLuXkit Vancouver Album Launch

Nov 11, 2023
Field:

Gathering, Talk

 Location:

Grand Luxe Hall, Western Front

 Time:

7:30 – 10:00 p.m.

Description:

To celebrate the release of Darius Jones’s latest album fLuXkit Vancouver (its suite but sacred), Western Front presented a listening session of the album on vinyl, alongside a conversation with Jones and poet Harmony Holiday, who authored the album’s liner notes.

Commissioned by Western Front and developed across residencies in 2019 and 2022, fLuXkit Vancouver (its suite but sacred) is a radiant manifesto of artistic freedom that brings together a composition in four movements written and performed by Jones on alto saxophone, long-time collaborator Gerald Cleaver on drums, and violinists Jesse Zubot and Josh Zubot, cellist Peggy Lee, and bassist James Meger; with original artwork by Stan Douglas, and liner notes by Holiday. The album is a collaborative release by Northern Spy and We Jazz Records.

Working through the album track by track, the discussion ranged from Jones's musical experiences, family history, and residency experience at Western Front; to Holiday’s approach to writing for the record; to themes of friendship, jazz pedagogies, the institutionalization of Black music, poetry, and the sacred. Their conversation was followed by a question and answer period.

The evening concluded with a screening of a new two-channel short film by interdisciplinary artist Laura Sofía Pérez developed in response to Jones’s music. Titled Devotional Flux (2023), the film offers a poetic interpretation of Fluxus, spirituality, and science through syncretic still lifes and experimental alchemical processes.

Presented in partnership with the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation at the University of British Columbia, and with the support of the Government of Canada and SOCAN Foundation. 

Special thanks to Aram Bajakian for initiating the project, and to Coastal Jazz & Blues Society and the Robert D. Bielecki Foundation for additional support.

Video documentation is available upon request.
Darius Jones and Harmony Holiday are seated at a table in the Grand Luxe Hall. They are in conversation, and each hold a microphone. A copy of Darius’s LP is propped up on a stand. The album cover shows a pattern of overlapping white, blue, and yellow circles against a red background. Audience members are seated and can be seen from behind.
Darius Jones and Harmony Holiday are seated at a table in the Grand Luxe Hall. They each hold microphones, and share a laugh while in conversation. A turntable, a copy of Darius’s LP, and a glass of water are positioned on the table in front of them. Darius wears glasses and a black cardigan over a black T-shirt with a portrait of Sade, and Harmony wears black fingerless gloves, a black turtleneck, and a hot pink mini skirt over black ribbed tights.
Darius Jones smiles while holding a microphone. He is seated at a table covered with black fabric. A record player and a copy of his LP are placed in front of him. Darius wears glasses and a black cardigan over a black T-shirt printed with a portrait of Sade.
Harmony Holiday smiles into a microphone held in her right hand. Her left hand is placed on her chest, and is accessorized with black leather studded fingerless gloves. She is seated at a table covered in a black table cloth where an LP is propped up. The album cover is a pattern of white, blue, and yellow overlapping circles on a red background.
Harmony Holiday and Darius Jones sit at a table in conversation. Darius’s back is to the camera as he leans towards Harmony, who speaks into a microphone held in her right hand. She wears a black shirt, black studded fingerless gloves, and a hot pink miniskirt over a pair of black ribbed tights. A pitcher of water, a turntable, and a copy of Darius’s LP are propped on the table in front of them.
Darius Jones and Harmony Holiday smile towards the audience. They are seated at a table where a record player and a copy of Darius’s LP are placed. Darius holds a microphone up to his mouth with his right hand. He wears glasses and a black cardigan over a black Sade T-shirt. Harmony wears a black long-sleeved shirt. The first few rows of audience members can be seen from behind.
A two-channel video is projected on a screen at the back of the Grand Luxe Hall. The first channel shows a black-and-white image of a birthday candle burning on its side. The second channel shows a chemically manipulated pink film strip. The audience can be seen from behind.

Captions:

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Western Front is a non-profit
artist-run centre in Vancouver.

We acknowledge the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations as traditional owners of the land upon which Western Front stands.

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