Darcy James Argue's contemporary steampunk big band jazz album, Brooklyn Babylon, got a lot of love on year-end critics' polls including appearing on 14 ballots in National Public Radio's recap of the best of 2013.
NPR's Francis Davis says the music created by Handsworth grad Argue, and his ensemble the Secret Society, draws comparisons with the music of Duke Ellington and Charles Ives (npr.org/blogs/-bestmusic- 2013/2013/12/16/251761 858/the-2013-npr-musicjazz- critics-poll).
Washington, D.C.'s New Republic magazine named Brooklyn Babylon the top album of 2013 beating out Kanye West, Vampire Weekend and Lorde, among others, for the honours on critic David Hajdu's Top 10 list.
On top of all that the Secret Society's release is also nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Large Jazz Ensemble category with the winner to be announced Sunday, Jan. 26. The show will be telecast on CBS and Citytv starting at 8 p.m.
