Jazz Articles about Miguel Zenon

About Miguel Zenon

Album Review

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, ...

Album Review

Miguel Zenon: Tipico

by James Nadal
January 12, 2017

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, ...

Album Review

Miguel Zenon: Identities Are Changeable

Read "Identities Are Changeable" reviewed by Maurizio Zerbo

by Maurizio Zerbo
March 9, 2015

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 ...

Album Review

Miguel Zenon: Identities Are Changeable

Read "Identities Are Changeable" reviewed by Mark F. Turner

by Mark F. Turner
November 4, 2014

It would simply be enough to just hear Miguel Zenón's saxophone; its fluid, darting, humming bird-like maneuvers, soulful and piercing. Yet as one of the most distinctive altos in jazz, the Grammy nominated and Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow is also a gifted composer who continues to deliver insights into his culture as vividly expressed in 2011's Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook and 2009's Esta Plena, both released on Marsalis Music. His ninth recording as a leader, ...

Live Review

Miguel Zenon Quartet at 36th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival

by Hrayr Attarian
September 10, 2014

Miguel Zenon Quartet Millenium Park, Jay Pritzker Pavilion 36th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival Chicago, IL August 31st 2014 The last evening of the festival was pleasantly warm and mild and the millennium park, around the Jay Pritzker Pavilion band shell was packed with people. The Frank Gehry designed signature stainless steel headdress with its custom designed sound system to replicate impeccable indoor acoustics has been the new home of the festival for the past ...

Album Review

Miguel Zenon: Oye!!! - Live In Puerto Rico

by AAJ Italy Staff
July 22, 2013

Il sassofonista portoricano ha formato il Rhythm Collective un decennio fa per partecipare a un tour in Africa occidentale promosso dal Dipartimento di Stato americano e dal Kennedy Center. Quell'esperienza è stata talmente significativa per i componenti del gruppo - tutti portoricani - che ha continuato a vivere, alimentato dai presupposti iniziali che prevedevano di esaltare l'aspetto ritmico/percussivo. La formazione non prevede infatti alcuno strumento armonico e consente quindi ampia libertà all'improvvisazione melodica di Zenon e, in qualche caso, del ...

Interview

Miguel Zenon: Celebrating the Music of La Isla

by Steve Bryant
June 24, 2013

For the last decade, saxophonist Miguel Zenón has distinguished himself as one of the most innovative and creative musicians in the modern jazz idiom. The Puerto Rican-born altoist accomplished this feat by reaching back to the musical and cultural traditions of his island. On groundbreaking recordings such as Jibaro (Marsalis Music, 2005) and Esta Plena (Marsalis Music, 2009), Zenón paid musical homage to the rich rhythms of Bomba and Plena. Alma Adentro (Marsalis Music, 2011) was a heartfelt tribute to ...