Darcy James Argue
Darcy James Argue | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Born | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | May 23, 1975
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, bandleader |
Instrument(s) | Piano |
Years active | 2005–present |
Labels | New Amsterdam |
Website | secretsocietymusic |
Darcy James Argue (born May 23, 1975) is a jazz composer and bandleader known for his work with his 18-piece ensemble, Secret Society.
Biography
Argue was born in Vancouver, British Columbia.[1][2] He studied at McGill University in Montreal from 1993–1998, and in 2000 he moved to the U.S. to study composition at New England Conservatory of Music[3] with jazz composer Bob Brookmeyer.[4] Following his studies at New England Conservatory, Argue moved to Brooklyn in 2003.
Secret Society
In 2005, Argue founded Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, an 18-piece big band. In 2009, they released their first studio album, Infernal Machines, on New Amsterdam Records, an independent record label in New York City. It received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album[5] and a Juno Award nomination in Canada for Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year.[6] It was recognized multiple times in the Down Beat magazine Critics' Poll[7] and included on annual lists at The New York Times, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, Paste, and the Ottawa Citizen.[8]
The Society's second album, Brooklyn Babylon (2013), was based on a multimedia performance created with visual artist Danijel Zezelj and premiered at the BAM Next Wave Festival in November 2011. It too received Grammy and Juno Award nominations.[9][10] It won the top positions for Arranger and Big Band in the 2013 Down Beat Critics' Poll,[11] was named Best Album of 2013 by The New Republic,[12] and was included in the Top 10 Albums of the 2013 NPR Music Jazz Critics' Poll.[13]
Their third album, Real Enemies (New Amsterdam, 2016) was commissioned by and premiered at the BAM Next Wave Festival. Like Brooklyn Babylon, it was created as part of a multimedia performance, in partnership with the writer-director Isaac Butler and the theatrical film designer Peter Nigrini.[14] It received a Grammy nomination for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.[15]
In September 2023, the Society released their fourth album, Dynamic Maximum Tension, on Nonesuch Records.[16] It received the group's fourth Grammy nomination for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.[17]
Commissions
Argue has received commissions from the Fromm Music Foundation, the Jazz Gallery, the Manhattan New Music Project, the Jerome Foundation, and
Awards and honors
- Charlie Parker Composition Prize, BMI Jazz Composers' Workshop (2004)
- Grammy Award nominations, Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: Infernal Machines (2011), Brooklyn Babylon (2014), Real Enemies (2016), Dynamic Maximum Tension (2023)
- Juno Award nomination, Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year (2010, 2014)
- Music Fellowship, New York Foundation for the Arts (2013)
- Doris Duke Performing Artist Award (2015)[18]
- Guggenheim Fellowship in Music Composition (2015)[19]
Discography
- Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam, 2009)
- Brooklyn Babylon (New Amsterdam, 2013)
- Real Enemies (New Amsterdam, 2016)
- Dynamic Maximum Tension (Nonesuch, 2023)[20]
References
- ^ "Darcy James Argue's Secret Society". All About Jazz. Archived from the original on 2008-12-19. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
- ^ Gehr, Richard (2009-05-05). "Darcy James Argue's Metal Machine Music". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
- ^ Leonard, Devin (2009-07-09). "The History of Jazz, by Darcy James Argue". The New York Observer. Archived from the original on 2009-07-15. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
- ^ "The Perils of Empire: Steampunk Big Band" (PDF). SteamPunk Magazine. p. 65. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-08-27. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
- ^ "Several Jazz Surprises In The 2011 Grammy Award Nominations". NPR. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
- Wreckhouse. 5 March 2010. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
- Down Beat. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
- Secret Society. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
- Secret Society. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
- JUNO Awards. Archived from the originalon 2015-06-15. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
- Down Beat. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
- ^ Hajdu, David (27 December 2013). "The Best Albums of 2013, the Year Marketing Almost Took Over Music". The New Republic. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
- ^ "The 2013 NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll". NPR. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
- ^ "In 'Real Enemies,' Darcy James Argue Confronts A Post-Truth World". NPR. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
- Down Beat. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 2017-02-13.
- ^ "Composer Darcy James Argue's Nonesuch Debut, 'Dynamic Maximum Tension,' Out Now". Nonesuch Records. 8 September 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- Recording Academy. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
- ^ "Darcy James Argue". Doris Duke Performing Artist Award. Archived from the original on 2015-06-15. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
- ^ "Darcy James Argue". Fellowship Awards in the United States and Canada, 2015. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
- ^ "Darcy James Argue | Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 November 2023.