We had the chance to first hear separately the two groups brought together here, the Darius Jones alto saxophone trio and the Josh Zubot Strings ensemble, a string quintet (only the double bassist of the trio and the alto player of the quintet are missing), to hear them separately and to be able to appreciate them in all the vigor of their respective visions, in order to properly measure the right balance of the assembly.
Darius Jones and his Fluxkit Vancouver program (USA, British Columbia) effectively combine all the qualities of both, and these are all present; only the way they are distributed and showcased sequentially throughout the performance differs. The compositions remain solid, their arrangement into suites creates a strong framework, and the interplay of the strings, drummer, and horn player is equally impressive.
The festival-goer is swimming in pure bliss.
