Tens of thousands of artists save hundreds of hours a year using ArtistData. Learn more | Artist Login

Recent News

Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At Jazz Gallery Tonight & Saturday
November 30, 2012
Photo: Lindsay Beyerstein Darcy James Argue‘s acclaimed 18-piece big band Secret Society will close-out its 2012 performance schedule with a two-night stand at The Jazz Gallery in New York. Here’s a preview published in yesterday’s NY Daily News. These shows, featuring sets at 9:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., will be part of the venue’s last month at its current location, where it has hosted the… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society To Play Two Nights At Jazz Gallery
October 31, 2012
Photo: Lindsay Beyerstein Darcy James Argue‘s acclaimed 18-piece big band Secret Society will close out its 2012 performance schedule with a two-night stand at The Jazz Gallery in New York on November 30th and December 1st. These shows, featuring sets at 9:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., will be part of the venue’s last month at its current location, where it has hosted the GRAMMY nominated ensemble on… (read more)
Tonight: Pedro Giraudo Septet Performs The Music Of Darcy James Argue
October 19, 2012
Photo: Ines Kaiser Tonight at 7:30 p.m., bassist Pedro Giraudo and his Septet will perform original arrangements of the music of Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society as part of the Seeing Jazz With George Wein Series at Symphony Space in New York. The concert, which will feature several Argue compositions, will follow a Q&A session with Giraudo, Wein and the composer. Argue’s innovative big band… (read more)
Pedro Giraudo Septet Will Perform The Music Of Darcy James Argue At Symphony Space
October 2, 2012
Photo: Ines Kaiser On Friday, October 19th at 7:30 p.m., bassist Pedro Giraudo and his Septet will perform original arrangements of the music of Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society as part of the Seeing Jazz With George Wein Series at Symphony Space in New York. The concert, which will feature several Argue compositions, will follow a special Q&A session with Giraudo, Wein and the composer. Argue’s… (read more)
Tomorrow: Secret Society & Escort Play Outdoors At Ecstatic Summer
August 24, 2012
Photo: Lindsay Beyerstein Tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m., composer-bandleader Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed 18-piece big band Secret Society will close out their very active summer season with a free performance at World Financial Center Plaza in New York as part of Ecstatic Summer, a production of New Amsterdam Presents in association with the Kaufman Center presented by Arts Brookfield. This… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society Returns To Newport Tomorrow
August 3, 2012
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Tomorrow afternoon at 2:20 p.m., Brooklyn-based composer-bandleader Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed 18-piece big band Secret Society will make its second appearance at the historic Newport Jazz Festival. The GRAMMY nominated group, which just topped the Rising Star Big Band category in the DownBeat Critics’ Poll for the second time, will perform at Fort Adams State… (read more)
Darcy James Argue To Close Out July At Brazil’s Savassi Festival
July 18, 2012
Photo: Ines Kaiser Later this month, composer-bandleader Darcy James Argue will be the Residência Artística with the Big Band Palácio das Artes at Savassi Festival 2012 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. On Sunday, July 29th at 7:15 p.m., Argue will conduct the 26-piece ensemble in a program of original music featuring selections from his GRAMMY nominated debut, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam Records),… (read more)
60th Annual DownBeat Critics’ Poll Results
July 6, 2012
Congratulations to the eight clients who were recognized in their respective categories by the voters in this year’s DownBeat Critics’ Poll. Darcy James Argue Rising Star Big Band*, Big Band**, Rising Star Jazz Artist, Composer and Arranger AUM Fidelity Label, Arranger (William Parker), Bass (William Parker), Rising Star Drums (Gerald Cleaver), Rising Star Alto Saxophone (Darius Jones), Alto… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society In The Studio This Week
June 19, 2012
Photo: James Daniel For the next three days, Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed 18-piece big band Secret Society will be in the studio recording the follow-up to their GRAMMY nominated debut, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam Records). These sessions, funded in part by a successful Kickstarter campaign that ended at midnight, will document the complete original score from Brooklyn Babylon, the group’s… (read more)
Secret Society Makes its South American Debut On Sunday
June 8, 2012
Photo: Lindsay Beyerstein Brooklyn-based composer Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed 18-piece big band Secret Society will make their South American debut this Sunday with a performance in São Paulo as part of BMW Jazz Festival 2012. A second festival appearance in Rio de Janeiro follows on the 13th. “It’s incredibly exciting for us to be making our first trip to Brazil,” Argue explains,… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At Ecstatic Summer August 25th
May 24, 2012
Photo: Lindsay Beyerstein On Saturday, August 25th, composer-bandleader Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed 18-piece big band Secret Society will close out their very active summer season with a free performance at World Financial Center Plaza as part of Ecstatic Summer, a production of New Amsterdam Presents in association with the Kaufman Center presented by Arts Brookfield. This special outdoor… (read more)
Tonight: Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At (Le) Poisson Rouge
May 22, 2012
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Tonight at 10:30 p.m., Brooklyn-based composer Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed big band Secret Society will return to (Le) Poisson Rouge in New York. This concert, the band’s fifth at the venue, is the last gig on its home turf before the start of a busy summer that includes stops at Brazil’s BMW Jazz Festival (South American debut) and the historic Newport Jazz… (read more)
Argue Launches Kickstarter Campaign To Record Brooklyn Babylon
May 16, 2012
Photo: James Daniel This June, Brooklyn-based composer-bandleader Darcy James Argue and his critically acclaimed 18-piece big band Secret Society will return to the studio to record the highly anticipated follow-up to their groundbreaking GRAMMY nominated debut, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam Records). Today, Argue launches a new Kickstarter campaign to help fund the ambitious three-day recording… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society Returning To LPR In May
April 5, 2012
Photo: Lindsay Beyerstein On Tuesday, May 22nd at 10:30 p.m., Brooklyn-based composer-bandleader Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed big band Secret Society will return to (Le) Poisson Rouge in New York. This concert, the band’s fifth at the venue, is the last gig on its home turf before the start of a busy summer that includes stops at Brazil’s BMW Jazz Festival (South American debut) and the… (read more)
Tonight: Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society In Washington, DC
April 4, 2012
Photo: Lindsay Beyerstein Tonight at 8:00 p.m., composer/bandleader Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed big band Secret Society will perform as part of the Jazz at the Atlas series at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in Washington, D.C. This will be the group’s first concert in the nation’s capital since January 5th, 2011 when it performed at both Subterranean A and the Kennedy Center’s Millennium… (read more)
Secret Society To Headline Tarleton Jazz Festival On Saturday
March 23, 2012
Photo: Lindsay Beyerstein Tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m., composer Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed big band, Secret Society, will be the featured guest artists at the 50th annual Tarleton Jazz Festival at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. This longstanding festival is designed to give junior high and high school musicians the opportunity to both hear and interact with prominent professionals… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society To Play Brazil’s BMW Jazz Festival
March 21, 2012
Photo: Lindsay Beyerstein Brooklyn-based composer Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed 18-piece big band Secret Society will make their South American debut this June with performances in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro as part of BMW Jazz Festival 2012. “It’s incredibly exciting for us to be making our first trip to Brazil,” Argue explains, “a country whose incredibly rich and deep musical culture… (read more)
Tix For Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At Newport On Sale Today
March 15, 2012
Tickets go on sale today for Darcy James Argue‘s Secret Society at the 2012 Newport Jazz Festival presented by Natixis Global Asset Management. The group will perform at Fort Adams State Park on Saturday, August 4th (time TBA). This will be the acclaimed 18-piece big band’s second appearance at the legendary festival and its first on the main stage. In addition to presenting a suite of music from… (read more)
Tonight: Darcy James Argue To Present Anti-Social Music + Secret Society
March 9, 2012
Photo: Lindsay Beyerstein Tonight, Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed big band Secret Society will return to Brooklyn’s Galapagos Art Space, where they celebrated the release of their GRAMMY® nominated 2009 debut, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam Records), for a special double-bill with the new music collective Anti-Social Music. The music will begin at 7:00 p.m. with Anti-Social Music (ASM)… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society Returns To D.C. April 4th
February 28, 2012
Photo: Lindsay Beyerstein On Wednesday, April 4th at 8:00 p.m., composer/bandleader Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed big band Secret Society will perform as part of the Jazz at the Atlas series at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in Washington, D.C. This will be the group’s first concert in the nation’s capital since January 5th, 2011 when it performed at both Subterranean A and the Kennedy… (read more)
Darcy James Argue Interviewed At JazzDIY & The Jazz Session
February 24, 2012
Photo: Lindsay Beyerstein Composer and bandleader Darcy James Argue is the subject of two new companion interviews conducted by Jason Crane for JazzDIY, the online trade journal for the 21st century jazz musician, and his pre-eminent jazz interview podcast, The Jazz Session. In the six-part video interview for JazzDIY, Argue talks about a variety of industry-related subjects, including his experiences… (read more)
Secret Society To Headline The 50th Annual Tarleton Jazz Festival
February 15, 2012
Photo: Lindsay Beyerstein On Saturday, March 24th, composer/bandleader Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed big band, Secret Society, will be the featured guest artists at the 50th annual Tarleton Jazz Festival at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. This longstanding festival is designed to give junior high and high school musicians the opportunity to both hear and interact with prominent… (read more)
Darcy James Argue To Present Anti-Social Music + Secret Society At Galapagos Art Space
January 24, 2012
Photo by Ines Kaiser On Friday, March 9th, Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed big band Secret Society will return to Brooklyn’s Galapagos Art Space, where they celebrated the release of their GRAMMY® nominated 2009 debut, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam Records), for a special double-bill with the new music collective Anti-Social Music. The music will begin at 7:00 p.m. with Anti-Social Music… (read more)
Announcing Our 2012 Exclusive Client Roster
January 12, 2012
After a quick detour to New York for APAP|NYC and Winter Jazzfest last week, we’re now officially up and running with our newly expanded client roster for 2012. It is our great pleasure to be serving as the exclusive media contact for these nine musicians and two labels throughout our 10th anniversary year. Please click on the following links to visit each client’s page on our site for additional… (read more)
Best Of 2011 Lists
January 12, 2012
Congratulations to our clients on being recognized by the following 2011 polls and year-end lists! Darcy James Argue DownBeat Critics’ Poll: Rising Star Composer (#1) DownBeat Critics’ Poll: Rising Star Big Band (#2) DownBeat Readers’ Poll: Big Band (#2) JazzTimes Readers’ Poll: Best Big Band (#3) 100 Composers Under 40 —NPR in conjunction with WQXR  Top 10 concerts/gigs in Ottawa… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society Returns To Jazz Gallery January 6-7th
November 17, 2011
Photo: James Daniel On Friday, January 6th and Saturday, January 7th, Darcy James Argue and his 18-piece big band Secret Society will perform at Jazz Gallery in New York. This two-night stand, coinciding with the annual Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) Conference, will feature sets at 9:00 and 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for the general public and $10 for Jazz Gallery members and can… (read more)
Brooklyn Babylon Premieres Tonight At BAM
November 9, 2011
Photo: James Daniel After a year of preparation, and a preview performance last month at SUNY Purchase, composer/bandleader Darcy James Argue and graphic artist Danijel Zezelj will present the world premiere of their multimedia collaboration Brooklyn Babylon at the 2011 Next Wave Festival. The project, commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music, will have four performances tonight through… (read more)
Argue & Zezelj To Preview Brooklyn Babylon At SUNY Purchase Tomorrow
October 21, 2011
Photo by Ines Kaiser On Saturday, October 22nd at 8:00 p.m., composer/bandleader Darcy James Argue and graphic artist Danijel Zezelj will present a special preview of their multimedia collaboration Brooklyn Babylon at Purchase College’s PepsiCo Theatre in Purchase, New York. This innovative combination of music, animation and painting is produced by Beth Morrison Projects and supported by a grant… (read more)
Tonight: Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At The MFA In Boston
September 30, 2011
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Tonight at 8:00 p.m., Brooklyn-based composer Darcy James Argue and his innovative 18-piece big band Secret Society will perform at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston. The group’s set will feature the American premiere of music from the first three chapters of Brooklyn Babylon, its forthcoming multimedia collaboration with graphic artist Danijel Zezelj, as well… (read more)
Darcy James Argue + Danijel Zezelj = Brooklyn Babylon
August 2, 2011
Photo by Ines Kaiser From Wednesday, November 9th through Saturday, November 12th, the Next Wave Festival will present composer/bandleader Darcy James Argue and graphic artist Danijel Zezelj‘s multimedia collaboration Brooklyn Babylon at the historic BAM Harvey Theater. This innovative combination of music, animation and painting is produced by Beth Morrison Projects and supported by a… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At Boston’s Museum Of Fine Arts September 30th
July 19, 2011
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein On Friday, September 30th at 8:00 p.m., Brooklyn-based composer Darcy James Argue and his innovative 18-piece big band Secret Society will perform at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston. Tickets ($25 for non-members and $20 for members, students and seniors) are available in person at the MFA ticketing desk, by phone at 1-800-440-6975 and online at http://www.mfa.org… (read more)
2011 DownBeat Critics Poll Results
July 1, 2011
DownBeat‘s August issue is reaching subscribers now and with it the results of the 59th Annual Critics Poll. We’re very pleased to report that our clients are well represented and in more categories than ever before. AUM Fidelity earned the number nine spot on the Jazz Album of the Year list with William Parker’s I Plan To Stay A Believer: The Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield, while its recording… (read more)
Press for Darcy James Argue’s Canadian Jazz Festival Tour
June 29, 2011
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Darcy James Argue‘s four-city Canadian jazz festival tour is already half over (he and Secret Society play at TD Festival International de Jazz de Montréal tonight and TD Toronto Jazz Festival tomorrow night), but the press continues to roll in. Here’s some of the coverage the Vancouver native’s return has received so far: Vancouver Province/Canada.com (Feature,… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Canadian Jazz Festival Tour Begins Sunday
June 24, 2011
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein This Sunday, Brooklyn-based composer Darcy James Argue and his 18-piece big band Secret Society will embark on their first-ever Canadian tour. The first stop is Argue’s hometown of Vancouver where the acclaimed ensemble will perform at the historic Vogue Theatre as part of the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Concerts at the TD Ottawa International Jazz… (read more)
Tonight: Ben Allison Band + Secret Society At Littlefield
May 26, 2011
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Tonight at 8:00 p.m., composer/bandleader Darcy James Argue will present a special double-bill at Brooklyn’s Littlefield Performance & Art Space featuring his acclaimed 18-piece big band Secret Society and the Ben Allison Band. “Ben Allison has been a huge inspiration to me for many years,” Argue explains, “not just as a tremendous bassist, composer, and bandleader,… (read more)
Video: Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At The Kennedy Center
April 4, 2011
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein On Wednesday, January 5th at 6:00 p.m., Darcy James Argue and his 18-piece big band Secret Society made their Washington, D.C. debut at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. The entire 50-minute performance can be streamed from the Kennedy Center’s Web site here, and four new highlights have just been added to the group’s YouTube channel. Transit: Phobos: Induction… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society Returns To Iridium Jazz Club April 14th
March 31, 2011
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein This just in! Two weeks from tonight, on Thursday, April 14th, Darcy James Argue‘s Secret Society will perform two sets at Iridium Jazz Club in New York. This will be the GRAMMY® nominated 18-piece big band’s third appearance at the venue (audio from its September 22nd performance is available here), and its first New York concert of the Spring following collaborations… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society To Headline WCSU Jazz Festival April 30th
March 30, 2011
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein On Saturday, April 30th at 8:00 p.m., Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed 18-piece big band Secret Society will headline the 16th Annual Western Connecticut State University Jazz Festival at Ives Hall in Danbury, Connecticut. “The focus of the festival is for bands, ranging in age from middle school to college undergraduate, to have the opportunity to work with, and… (read more)
Tonight: Darcy James Argue At The Ecstatic Music Festival
February 24, 2011
Photo by Ines Kaiser Tonight, the Ecstatic Music Festival, in cooperation with the New Sounds® Live series, will present an eclectic night of music featuring composer/bandleader Darcy James Argue at New York’s Merkin Concert Hall. The centerpiece of the program, which begins at 7:30 p.m., will be a preview of Argue’s original song cycle, “The Sleep Room”, performed by the eight-piece chamber… (read more)
JazzTimes Expanded Critics’ Poll
February 21, 2011
The March issue of JazzTimes features the results of the magazine’s Expanded Critics’ Poll, augmenting the Top 50 CDs list it published in the previous issue. We’re pleased to report our clients were recognized in three categories. Mary Halvorson placed third and fourth respectively in the Guitar and New Artist categories, and Darcy James Argue‘s Secret Society earned the third spot in the… (read more)
2010 El Intruso Poll
February 3, 2011
Congratulations to Mary Halvorson (Músico del Año and Guitarra), William Parker (Contrabajo/Bajo eléctrico) and Fay Victor (Cantante Femenina) for winning their respective categories in the 2010 El Intruso Critics’ Poll. Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society (Músico/Grupo en concierto), the Mary Halvorson Quintet’s Saturn Sings (Álbum del Año) and Darius Jones (Saxo and Músico Revelación)… (read more)
Cadence 2010 Record Poll
February 1, 2011
The results of Cadence‘s 2010 Record Poll are included in the Jan/Feb/Mar issue now reaching subscribers. We’re proud to report the following client releases were recognized by the voters in the New Issues category (new releases reviewed in the magazine in 2010). Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam Records) Bill Dixon, Tapestries for Small Orchestra (Firehouse… (read more)
Darcy James Argue To Collaborate With Newspeak, Vijay Iyer, Nicole Lizée And David T. Little At Ecstatic Music Festival February 24th
January 11, 2011
Photo by Ines Kaiser On Thursday, February 24th at New York’s Merkin Concert Hall, the Ecstatic Music Festival, in cooperation with the New Sounds® Live series, will present an eclectic night of music featuring composer/bandleader Darcy James Argue. The centerpiece of the program, which begins at 7:30 p.m., will be a preview of Argue’s original song cycle, “The Sleep Room”, performed by the… (read more)
Tonight: Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society Makes Its D.C. Debut
January 5, 2011
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Tonight, Darcy James Argue‘s Secret Society will make its Washington, D.C. debut in style with two shows at two different venues. The group, which was just nominated for a GRAMMY® Award in the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album category for Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam Records), will first play a free hour-long set at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage starting… (read more)
Free Download: Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At The London Jazz Festival
December 28, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Back on November 18th, Darcy James Argue‘s Secret Society made its UK debut at Cafe OTO as part of the London Jazz Festival. Highlights of that concert are now available for download directly from the band’s Web site. The entire performance was broadcast on the December 13th episode of BBC Radio 3's Jazz on 3. Host Jez Nelson described it as “one of the jazz world’s… (read more)
Argue And Rosenthal Among Boston Phoenix’s Top 10 Jazz Stories Of 2010
December 22, 2010
Composer/bandleader Darcy James Argue and pianist/composer Ted Rosenthal each earned a slot of Jon Garelick’s Top 10 Jazz Stories of 2010 list in this week’s Boston Phoenix. “Argue and his Secret Society’s Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam) made year-end lists in 2009, but this extraordinary big band—based in New York—didn’t get to Boston for a live show until a Regattabar gig in February.… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society Featured On BBC Radio 3's Jazz On 3
December 14, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Last night, Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed 18-piece big band, Secret Society, were featured on BBC Radio 3's Jazz on 3, which broadcasted the group’s November 18th performance at the London Jazz Festival. Host Jez Nelson described the event as “one of the jazz world’s most talked about new big bands recorded at what is, right now, surely one of the world’s… (read more)
Search & Restore To Present Three Secret Society Performances In January
December 8, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein On Wednesday, January 5th, Darcy James Argue‘s Secret Society will kick-off its 2011 performance schedule with its first-ever concerts in Washington, D.C. The group, which was just nominated for a GRAMMY® Award in the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album category for its 2009 debut, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam Records), will first play a free hour-long set at the Kennedy… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society Nominated For A Grammy
December 2, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Congratulations to Darcy James Argue‘s Secret Society on their Grammy® nomination in the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album category. The 18-piece big band’s acclaimed debut, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam Records), is one of the most talked about jazz recordings of the past two years. It was previously nominated for a JUNO Award in Argue’s native Canada and earned… (read more)
Tonight: Darcy James Argue Headlines MNMP’s 20th Anniversary Concert
November 30, 2010
Photo by Ines Kaiser Tonight, Darcy James Argue and his 18-piece big band, Secret Society, will headline Manhattan New Music Project‘s 20th anniversary benefit concert at Joe’s Pub in New York. The highlight of the group’s set will be the world premiere of a new original composition commissioned by MNMP in loving memory of its founder, Paul Nash. “Paul Nash was a forward-thinking musician… (read more)
The Guardian: Darcy James Argue At The London Jazz Festival
November 22, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein “The London debut of Secret Society, led by composer Darcy James Argue, was a contender for gig of the year,” declares John L. Walters in his review for Sunday’s issue of The Guardian. “He extends the timbral achievements of Gil Evans, Mike Gibbs and Maria Schneider while reinventing the jazz big band for the 21st century,” Walters continues. “Secret Society’s… (read more)
Darcy James Argue Interviewed At BurningAmbulance.com
November 22, 2010
Photo by Ines Kaiser Phil Freeman interviews composer/bandleader Darcy James Argue in a new post on BurningAmbulance.com In this extensive Q&A, Argue talks about his approach to writing big band music in the 21st century, the balance of composition and improvisation in his music, his cadre of regular band members, the range of venues the band has played, the demographics of his audience, the financial… (read more)
Tonight: Darcy James Argue At London Jazz Festival
November 18, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Tonight at London’s Cafe OTO, Darcy James Argue‘s Secret Society will make its UK debut as part of the London Jazz Festival. The concert is supported by a grant from USArtists International, a program of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, and will be co-presented and recorded by BBC Radio 3. Argue and the band will next head to Italy where they will play at Milan’s… (read more)
Darcy James Argue At Jazz Gallery Tonight And Tomorrow
November 12, 2010
Photo by Ines Kaiser Tonight, Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed 18-piece big band, Secret Society, kick off a busy November with a two-night stand at New York’s Jazz Gallery. Both nights will feature sets at 9:00 and 10:30 p.m. Next week, Argue and the band head to Europe for performances at the London Jazz Festival (11/18) and the Aperitivo in Concerto series at Teatro Manzoni in Milan, Italy… (read more)
Darcy James Argue To Headline MNMP’s 20th Anniversary Benefit
November 2, 2010
Photo by Ines Kaiser Three weeks from tonight, on Tuesday, November 30th, the Manhattan New Music Project (MNMP) will present a new composition by Darcy James Argue as part of its 20th anniversary benefit concert at Joe’s Pub in New York. This work, commissioned by MNMP in loving memory of its founder, Paul Nash, will be performed by Argue’s 18-piece big band, Secret Society, as part of a headlining… (read more)
Darcy James Argue With Pulse And TAKE Dance Tonight And Tomorrow
October 14, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Tonight and tomorrow night, at Judson Memorial Church in New York, Darcy James Argue‘s latest work, “Imperfect Syzygy”, will be performed as part of a collaboration between Pulse (a composers federation he’s worked with since 2004) and the TAKE Dance company. This two-night event, called The Distance To The Moon, will feature the premiere of six specially commissioned… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society To Play New York, London And Milan
September 29, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein This November, composer/conductor Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed 18-piece big band, Secret Society, will return to New York’s Jazz Gallery for a two-night stand (11/12 and 11/13) before heading off to Europe for performances at the London Jazz Festival (11/18) and the Aperitivo in Concerto series at Teatro Manzoni in Milan, Italy (11/21). These will be the band’s… (read more)
Tonight: Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At Iridium Jazz Club
September 22, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Tonight, Darcy James Argue‘s Secret Society will follow-up its highly regarded appearance at CareFusion Jazz Festival Newport with a two-set performance at Iridium Jazz Club in New York. This event, the 18-piece ensemble’s second appearance at the venue and first gig in New York since its debut at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola in June during CareFusion Jazz Festival New… (read more)
Darcy James Argue To Collaborate With Newspeak, Vijay Iyer, Nicole Lizée And David T. Little At Ecstatic Music Festival
September 17, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein The Ecstatic Music Festival at New York’s Merkin Concert Hall officially announced its 13-concert schedule this week, including a February 24th event featuring our own Darcy James Argue. This eclectic night of music will feature the world premiere of Argue’s “The Sleep Room”, a new work commissioned by the Jerome Foundation’s Jerome Composers Commissioning Program.… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society Returns To Iridium September 22nd
August 18, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein On Wednesday, September 22nd, Darcy James Argue‘s Secret Society will follow-up its highly regarded appearance at CareFusion Jazz Festival Newport with a two-set performance at Iridium Jazz Club in New York. This event, the 18-piece ensemble’s second appearance at the venue and first gig in New York since its debut at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola (pictured above) in June… (read more)
NPR: Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At CareFusion Jazz Festival Newport
August 10, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Despite the fact that special guest Bob Brookmeyer was unable to join them as planned due to illness, Darcy James Argue‘s Secret Society played a well-received set on CareFusion Jazz Festival Newport‘s Harbor Stage this past Saturday morning. The 18-piece big band performed “Blow-Out Prevention,” the piece written to feature Brookmeyer, as well as tracks from… (read more)
Reminder: Darcy James Argue At CareFusion Jazz Festival Newport This Saturday
August 6, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein This Saturday, Darcy James Argue‘s Secret Society is scheduled to make its Newport debut on the Harbor Stage starting at 11:20 a.m. The group, which topped the Big Band Rising Star category in the DownBeat Critics Poll and earned Large Ensemble of the Year honors at the Jazz Journalists Association Awards, was to perform a new piece with Argue’s mentor, Bob Brookmeyer,… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At CareFusion Jazz Festival Newport August 7th
July 23, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Two weeks from tomorrow, Darcy James Argue‘s Secret Society and special guest Bob Brookmeyer will perform on the Harbor Stage at CareFusion Jazz Festival Newport. “Mr. Wein asked if I might like to invite my compositional mentor, Bob Brookmeyer, to play a tune with us at Newport,” recalls Argue, who just topped the Big Band Rising Star, Composer Rising Star and Arranger… (read more)
Tonight: Darcy James Argue & The Cologne Contemporary Jazz Orchestra
July 9, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Tonight at the Stadtgarten in Cologne, Germany, composer Darcy James Argue will reunite with the Cologne Contemporary Jazz Orchestra for the first of two weekend performances of his music. On Saturday night, Argue and the CCJO will take the stage at the venerable North Sea Jazz Festival in The Netherlands. “Back in the fall of 2006,” explains Argue, who just earned… (read more)
DownBeat Critics Poll Results
July 8, 2010
Darcy James Argue by Lindsay Beyerstein The results of DownBeat‘s 58th Annual Critics Poll are now available in the August 2010 issue and we’re very pleased to report that our clients and their artists are well represented. Darcy James Argue was the big winner from our roster, topping the Big Band Rising Star, Composer Rising Star and Arranger Rising Star categories and earning a one-page feature… (read more)
Tonight: Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At CareFusion Jazz Festival
June 21, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Tonight, acclaimed bandleader/composer Darcy James Argue and his 18-piece steampunk big band Secret Society will make their Jazz at Lincoln Center debut at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola as part of George Wein’s CareFusion Jazz Festival New York. “It’s actually pretty inspiring to see such innovative programing from the guy who more or less invented the modern jazz festival,”… (read more)
Darcy James Argue A Double Winner At JJA Jazz Awards
June 15, 2010
Congratulations to composer/bandleader Darcy James Argue who won both Up & Coming Artist and Large Ensemble of the Year at yesterday’s Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards in New York. He blogs about the honor here. Argue and his award-winning big band, Secret Society, will perform on Monday at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola as part of George Wein’s CareFusion Jazz Festival New York. (read more)
Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards This Afternoon In New York
June 14, 2010
This afternoon at 3:30 p.m., the Jazz Journalists Association will present its annual Jazz Awards gala at City Winery in New York. Those who can’t attend can follow along via Web stream, or take part in one of the six satellite events in cities around the country. Our own Darcy James Argue is nominated in five categories, the most by any musician, including Composer of the Year, Up & Coming Artist… (read more)
Darcy James Argue To Perform At Three Festivals This Summer
May 26, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Brooklyn-based composer/bandleader Darcy James Argue is gearing up for upcoming performances at three major jazz festivals this summer. On Monday, June 21st, Argue and his acclaimed big band Secret Society will play two sets at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center as part of George Wein’s CareFusion Jazz Festival New York. The 18-piece group will add a special… (read more)
Darcy James Argue + Todd Sickafoose At 45 Bleecker Tonight And Tomorrow
May 14, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Tonight and tomorrow night at 45 Bleecker in New York, Manhattan New Music Project (MNMP) and Search & Restore will present a special double-bill featuring Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society and Todd Sickafoose’s Tiny Resistors, with each night promising exclusive sets from both bands. Play your cards right and you can also score yourself a bottle of limited edition… (read more)
2010 Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards Nominations
April 14, 2010
This afternoon, JazzTimes posted the complete list of nominees for this year’s Jazz Journalists Association Awards and we’re very pleased to announce our own Darcy James Argue is one of five musicians nominated in multiple categories. Argue is nominated for Composer of the Year, Up & Coming Artist of the Year, Record of the Year, Large Ensemble of the Year and Arranger of the Year, all based on… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At Galapagos Art Space Tomorrow
April 9, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein On Saturday, April 10th, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society will return to Brooklyn’s Galapagos Art Space for the first time since the May 2009 CD release concert for its acclaimed debut recording, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam). In the year that followed, this 18-piece steampunk big band has seen its star steadily rise thanks to performances around New York and… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At Jazz Standard Tonight
March 23, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Tonight, Darcy James Argue’s acclaimed 18-piece big band Secret Society will perform two sets at New York’s Jazz Standard as part of Hot and Cool: 40 Years of Jazz at NEC, a week-long series of concerts celebrating the 40th anniversary of New England Conservatory (NEC)’s groundbreaking jazz program. Argue, who earned a Master’s Degree in Music Composition from NEC… (read more)
Free Download: Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At Regattabar
March 12, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein On Thursday, February 25th, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society performed all seven tracks from its acclaimed debut, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam), at Regattabar in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “There’s nothing else like Secret Society in today’s jazz scene,” wrote the Boston Globe’s Steve Greenlee in his review of the concert. “Though he leads a big band,… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At Galapagos Arts Space April 10th
March 11, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein On Saturday, April 10th, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society will return to Brooklyn’s Galapagos Arts Space for the first time since the May 2009 CD release concert for its acclaimed debut recording, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam). In the year that followed, this 18-piece steampunk big band has seen its star steadily rise thanks to performances around New York and… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At Galapagos Art Space April 10th
March 11, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein On Saturday, April 10th, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society will return to Brooklyn’s Galapagos Art Space for the first time since the May 2009 CD release concert for its acclaimed debut recording, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam). In the year that followed, this 18-piece steampunk big band has seen its star steadily rise thanks to performances around New York and… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Infernal Machines Nominated For JUNO Award
March 4, 2010
Canada’s 2010 JUNO Award nominations were announced yesterday and we’re proud to report that Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society is nominated in the Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year category for its 2009 debut, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam Records). The record has already appeared on over 70 best-of-the-year lists around the industry and earned Best Debut honors in the prestigious Village… (read more)
Boston Globe Review: Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At Regattabar
February 27, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Steve Greenlee reviews Thursday night’s performance by Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society at Regattabar in today’s Boston Globe. “There’s nothing else like Secret Society in today’s jazz scene,” he declares. “His music, which relies as much on hard rock as swing, is ambitious, relevant, and alive. The band played all seven songs from its exceptional 2009… (read more)
George Wein’s CareFusion Jazz Festival New York
February 26, 2010
© Ruby Washington/The New York Times The big news in the jazz world the past few days is the announcement of this summer’s CareFusion Jazz Festival New York. The line-up, booked by 84 year-old jazz impresario George Wein, features many younger cutting-edge artists, including our own Darcy James Argue (who will also perform at the CareFusion Newport Jazz Festival) and Mary Halvorson, that Wein… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At Regattabar Tonight
February 25, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein After a week filled with feature articles in the Boston press (check out these profiles in the Globe, Herald and Phoenix), and recent announcements in the national media that the group will be performing at both of George Wein’s CareFusion Jazz Festivals (Newport and New York) this summer, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society will perform tonight at Regattabar in Harvard… (read more)
Unless you just address with best finesse
February 24, 2010
Secret Society is moving. Our new URL is:http://www.secretsocietymusic.org We kindly request that you update your bookmarks and links.The new RSS feed is:http://www.secretsocietymusic.org/darcy_james_argues_secret/rss.xmlNo redesign, just a long-overdue URL change. The previous address was owned by our blog hosting software, but secretsocietymusic.org is our own domain, and will remain stable regardless… (read more)
Boston Herald: Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society
February 23, 2010
Photo by Ben Anaman Bob Young profiles Darcy James Argue and his 18-piece big band, Secret Society, in today’s Boston Herald. The article, which previews the Argue’s Thursday night performance at Regattabar in Harvard Square, focuses on the steampunk aspects of the band and how they pertain to its music. “Steampunk is how one of the hottest young composers in jazz, New England Conservatory grad… (read more)
Boston Globe: Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society
February 21, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Joan Anderman profiles Darcy James Argue in the Sunday Boston Globe in anticipation of Secret Society’s upcoming performance at Regattabar in Harvard Square this Thursday. “Argue uses the term ’steampunk’ to describe his sound,” she writes, “and while the 34-year-old artist owns neither a morning coat nor brass goggles it makes a certain sense: Steampunk is… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society To Perform At Newport
February 15, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein George Wein’s New Festival Productions has announced that Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society is the first band booked to perform at the 2010 CareFusion Newport Jazz Festival in August. “I recently saw Darcy at The Jazz Gallery in New York and I was blown away by his dynamic presentation and rousing compositions,” recalls Wein in a recent press release. “It’s… (read more)
Boston Phoenix: Darcy James Argue Coming To Regattabar February 25th
February 10, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein “The hook for Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society—who come to the Regattabar Thursday the 25th—is that they’re a ’steampunk big band,’” writes Jon Garelick, who explores the philosophies behind Argue’s music-making in a preview in this week’s Boston Phoenix. “If you’re a jazz fan, you don’t need to know what that means. And if you’re not a jazz… (read more)
El Intruso’s International Critics’ and Musicians’ Polls
February 4, 2010
The Spanish-language Web publication ElIntruso.com has published the results of both its International Critics’ Poll and its International Musicians’ Poll, and we’re pleased to report that our 2009 clients topped five categories and finished second in four others. In the critics’ poll, 27 writers selected their favorites in 22 different categories, and the top 5 vote-getters in each category… (read more)
Industry Standard
February 3, 2010
Our next NYC hit is Tuesday, March 23 at Jazz Standard, as part of the New York-based celebrations surrounding the 40th anniversary of my alma mater's jazz program. It is great to be a part of this -- many of my most important musical/personal relationships began at NEC. In fact, that is where I first met and started working with Secret Society co-conspirators Josh Sinton and Sebastian Noelle. This… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At Jazz Standard March 23rd
February 3, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein On Tuesday, March 23rd, Darcy James Argue’s acclaimed 18-piece big band Secret Society will perform two sets at New York’s Jazz Standard as part of Hot and Cool: 40 Years of Jazz at NEC, a week-long series of concerts celebrating the 40th anniversary of New England Conservatory’s groundbreaking jazz program. Argue, who earned a Master’s Degree in Music Composition… (read more)
Darcy James Argue On WHYY’s On Canvas
January 28, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein It isn’t often that our clients get to perform on television, so when WHYY’s On Canvas decided to film Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society performing at the International House in Philadelphia back in June, we were pretty excited. Argue recalled the experience, which included him being sick with the flu, yesterday in a post on his blog. Last night, the episode aired… (read more)
Illadelph
January 27, 2010
Tonight (Wednesday, Jan 27), Secret Society will be appearing on WHYY-TV's awesome music show On Canvas. If you are in the Philadelphia area, you can tune in on your teevee machine at 8 PM. Everyone else will be able to watch a stream from WHYY's website beginning Thursday. (UPDATE: Watch the full episode here.)  Previous episodes of On Canvas have featured performances by Terence Blanchard, Rufus… (read more)
The Words Project: Process and Evolution
January 26, 2010
  Guest post by Sam SadigurskyTremendous thanks to Darcy for allowing me this space to share my work. I'm very excited to release Words Project III: Miniatures on January 29 at Galapagos (the same space where Secret Society kicked off the release of Infernal Machines) and thought I would take this opportunity to talk about the evolution of The Words Project, which has thus far been my focus as a… (read more)
Misty Mountain Hop
January 13, 2010
 I'm hugely, deeply honored to have been invited to join the faculty at this year's International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music at the Banff Centre for the Arts, especially as the rest of the faculty this year includes the likes of Donny McCaslin, Jeff Parker, Ben Monder, Ravi Coltrane, Drew Gress, Gerald Cleaver, and others. (The program is, of course, under the direction of Dave Douglas,… (read more)
Calling Softly
January 13, 2010
As mentioned in the latest Secret Society News-Letter, the Festival of New Trumpet Music -- one of my favorite musical events in NYC -- is on, and I could not be more pleased to be involved.  Things kicked off tonight with a gala honoring the great Wilmer Wise, probably the only trumpet player in history to perform with both Pablo Casals and Weather Report. Tomorrow night (Thursday, 14 Jan) at 9… (read more)
FONT Music’s Forward Flight Begins Tonight
January 13, 2010
Tonight, the Festival of New Trumpet Music (FONT Music) kicks off Forward Flight, a four-night celebration of the trumpet’s eclectic and integral role in contemporary music at New York’s Abrons Arts Center, with a tribute to esteemed trumpet player, and longtime FONT Music board member, Wilmer Wise. The event, which also serves as a fundraiser for the organization, will feature a pre-concert reception… (read more)
Public Service Announcement
January 9, 2010
Our 9:00 PM set tonight at the Jazz Gallery is sold out. As of now, tickets are still available for our 10:30 PM set, but you'd best act fast.Thanks to all who came out to hear us at LPR last night. Winter JazzFest is a kick. (read more)
Reminder: Darcy James Argue At Jazz Gallery This Saturday
January 8, 2010
Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed 18-piece big band, Secret Society, will follow-up their brief opening night performance at Winter JazzFest on Friday with two full sets at Jazz Gallery on Saturday at 9:00 and 10:30 p.m. This performance, like Winter JazzFest, is part of the ongoing festivities for the 2010 Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) Conference, and will offer attendees the… (read more)
New York Times: Winter JazzFest Preview
January 8, 2010
Photo by Hiroyuki Ito for the New York Times Nate Chinen’s preview of Winter JazzFest in today’s New York Times likens the popular festival’s line-up to “a temperature reading of the scene at ground level, where it’s most vibrant and volatile.” It also offers selected highlights, including performances by Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society and the Mary Halvorson Trio, as well as complete… (read more)
Letter from an occupant
January 5, 2010
The latest edition of Secret Society News-Letter contains lots of exciting (and as-yet-unblogged) news. If you aren't subscribed to it, you are, I'm afraid, missing out. Fortunately, that is easily remedied.Just got back to NYC and am in serious crunch mode trying to finish a couple of new pieces, but I hope to see some of you at the Secret Society gigs this Friday and Saturday -- see sidebar for… (read more)
Good year for the roses
December 31, 2009
... and for the Society. Sweet mercy. Here are some of the year-end honors for Infernal Machines: Village Voice Jazz Critic's Poll (Best Debut Record, and #4 overall) JazzTimes Top 50 New Releases New York Times - Best Albums of 2009 (Nate Chinen) Wall Street Journal - Toasting 2009's Best CDs (Larry Blumenfeld) Paste Magazine - Favorite Albums of 2009 (Andy Whitman) NPR's Take Five - Top 10 Jazz… (read more)