As part of the celebration of Nonesuch Records' 60th anniversary, we launched Nonesuch Selects, a video series in which artists stop by the Nonesuch office, pick some of their favorites from the music library, and share a few words on their choices. Composer and band leader Darcy James Argue, who made his Nonesuch Records debut with the 2023 release of his and his Secret Society ensemble's GRAMMY-nominated album Dynamic Maximum Tension, stopped by and chose recordings by Bill Frisell, Don Byron, Julius Hemphill, Kronos Quartet, and Randy Newman. You can watch it below and subscribe to the Nonesuch Records YouTube channel for all the latest:

Dynamic Maximum Tension pays homage to some of Argue’s key influences with original songs dedicated to R. Buckminster Fuller, Alan Turing, and Mae West. Cécile McLorin Salvant joins the ensemble for “Mae West: Advice.” Dynamic Maximum Tension’s eleven tracks, on two CDs, also include a response to Duke Ellington’s “Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue,” titled “Tensile Curves,” among other originals. It was nominated for the GRAMMY Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. You can get the album and hear it here.

Darcy James Argue, who was named Arranger of the Year in the DownBeat Critics Poll, is the Frankfurt Radio Big Band's new Composer in Residence. As such, he will conduct concerts with guest artists Warren Wolf in Darmstadt on January 23 and Frankfurt on January 24 and Aaron Diehl in Frankfurt on June 5 and in Giessen on June 6.

You can hear a playlist of music from Darcy James Argue's Nonesuch Selects on Spotify and Apple Music here. You can watch all of the Nonesuch Selects videos here.