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Miguel Zenon: Yo Soy La Tradicion
by Jerome Wilson
Alto saxophonist Miguel Zenon has undertaken several projects over the years exploring the folk music traditions of Puerto Rico, but he takes that to a new level with this work featuring the string playing of Chicago's Spektral Quartet. The interplay of saxophone and strings here sometimes recalls the lush conversations of the classic Stan Getz / Eddie Sauter project, Focus (Verve, 1961) or Charlie Parker's recordings with strings, but this feels more like an equal musical partnership. The quartet interacts ...
Continue ReadingMiguel Zenon: Yo Soy La Tradicion
by Mark Corroto
As a rule, it is best to encounter a piece of music with an appreciation of its provenance. For jazz listeners, even though the act of listening is an exercise in discovery, roots are rarely an issue. That is, until an artist delivers something novel. Such is the case with Yo Soy La Tradicion by saxophonist Miguel Zenón. The Guggenheim and MacArthur Foundation Fellowships recipient was commissioned in 2016 by the Hyde Park Jazz Festival to compose a suite for ...
Continue ReadingMiguel Zenon: Yo Soy La Tradicion
by Dan McClenaghan
With You Soy La Tradicion, alto saxophonist Miguel Zenon digs deep into his Puerto Rican roots with an exploration of his take on the “jazz with strings" genre. This is his eleventh CD release as a leader. He dabbled in the approach with Awake (Marsalis Music, 2008), adding a string quartet to his jazz quartet on a handful of the disc's tunes. Yo Soy La Tradition is a purer string/horn experience--just Zenon's golden-toned alto sax joining forces with the Spektral ...
Continue ReadingXerox Rochester International Jazz Festival 2017
by Gregory Savage
The phrase, “the festival will go on come rain or shine," never rang more true than at the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival. Even with on and off showers, the streets were packed with jazz lovers every night. The lineup, from top to bottom, was impressive. There was a great mixture of seasoned and emerging artists. With over 300 events including several free shows, the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival has built a strong reputation as a world class jazz ...
Continue ReadingMiguel Zenon: Tipico
by Mark Corroto
The saying “like butta" comes to mind when listening to the alto of saxophonist Miguel Zenón. His tone has the consistency of velvety cream, with nary a sour note. Hearing him in the context of his long-standing quartet, we get something like the voguish bulletproof coffee, which consists of butter, whipped into your favorite cup of joe. Such is Tipico, a graceful outing with a caffeinated blast.This stimulant is made possible because Zenón's quartet of pianist Luis Perdomo, ...
Continue ReadingMiguel Zenon: Tipico
by James Nadal
The vintage cover photograph on Tipico, of Puerto Rican musicians, might lead one to believe that this is a continuance of alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón's jazz adaptations revolving around his heritage and homeland. But this is not the case. On this release, he hones in on his bandmates, and the music is centered on what each individual member contributes to the ensemble, and overall sound. His quartet for over a decade now is comprised of pianist Luis Perdomo, ...
Continue ReadingMiguel Zenon: Identities Are Changeable
by Maurizio Zerbo
Il progetto di Miguel Zenon Identities Are Changeable è ambizioso nel voler coniugare in un unicum espressivo musica ed interviste ad immigrati portoricani a New York. L'obiettivo era quello di aggiungere un nuovo tassello alla più che decennale esplorazione dei legami tra jazz e la musica del suo paese d'origine. Ma l'originalità dell'idea non ha un suo riscontro nella realizzazione, dove il parlato risulta un po'troppo invasivo rispetto al flusso musicale. Sia pur lodevole, l'indagine sociologica messa in campo tende ...
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