“Quality of tone and acuity of rhythm might be enough to recommend the jazz alto saxophonist Miguel Zenon for the rest of his life," wrote the New York Times' Ben Ratliff in his review of Awake, which hit the streets on April 1st. “But he's also taking composition very seriously, and Awake (Marsalis Music), like all his other albums, is strong on planning. It sounds like five different records, and for current jazz, often high on musicality and low on concept, that's a joy and a relief." AllAboutJazz.com's Mark F. turner called it “his most thought provoking recording to date," adding, “Awake is outstanding, warranting repeated listens and represents a new chapter in the evolution of Miguel Zenon."
A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Zenon began his young career as a professional jazz musician in Boston, performing with scene mainstays the Either/Orchestra and drummer Bob Moses while still studying at Berklee College of Music. He would go on to become a founding member of the all-star SFJazz Collective, and also earn widespread attention for his membership in Guillermo Klein Y Los Gauchos and Charlie Haden's Liberation Orchestra among other groups. One of the first artists signed to Branford Marsalis' Marsalis Music label in 2004, Zenon has since earned the top spot in the Rising Star Alto Saxophone category of DownBeat Critics' Poll three times and been voted Best New Artist of the Year (2006) in the JazzTimes Readers Poll.
2008 Spring Jazz Series schedule:
03/14 :: David Torn's Prezens
03/21 :: Susie Ibarra Trio
03/28 :: Dezron Douglas Quintet
04/04 :: Aaron Goldberg Trio
04/11 :: Joe Morris Quartet
04/18 :: Peter Brotzmann/Han Bennink Duo
04/25 :: Andy LaVerne's One Of A Kind
05/02 :: BassDrumBone
05/09 :: Miguel Zenon Quartet
05/16 :: Ralph Alessi and This Against That
05/23 :: Min Xiao-Fen's Asian Trio
05/30 :: Amir ElSaffar's Two Rivers
06/06 :: Ben Wolfe Quartet
For more information contact Improvised Communications.
