Miguel Zenón - Golden City

August 27, 2024

Label: Miel Music, 2024

Personnel - Miguel Zenón: alto saxophone; Diego Urcola: trumpet, valve trombone; Alan Ferber: trombone; Jacob Garchik: trombone, tuba; Matt Mitchell: piano; Miles Okazaki: guitar; Chris Tordini: bass; Dan Weiss: drums; Daniel Diaz: percussion.

Puerto Rican alto saxophonist and composer Miguel Zenón has long been a formidable presence in the eclectic jazz scene, known for his deft handling of compositions that seamlessly blend Latin rhythms with contemporary jazz, serving as fertile ground for improvisation. Golden City, his 16th album as a leader, is a visceral work inspired by the rich history of San Francisco and its surrounding areas, specifically from the perspective of its immigrants and minority groups. For this project, Zenón leads a distinctive nonet, featuring a four-horn frontline that includes two trombones.

Written for the Ohlone people, “Sacred Land” makes a terrific post-bop opener, introduced by the sobering clarity of Zenón’s saxophone chants. The piece acquires a polyrhythmic feel before evolving into a delicious rhythm in seven over which there are luminous solos from pianist Matt Mitchell and Diego Urcola, a trumpeter who, on this track, skillfully navigates the valve trombone. Following a sequence of parallel phrases with no harmonic backdrop, Puerto Rican percussionist Daniel Diaz rhythmically accentuates the vamp leading to the thematic melody.

“Rush”, a nod to the California Gold Rush of 1848, unfolds with methodical steps in a 5/4 meter, anchored by pulsating piano and Dan Weiss’ precise drumming. The mood shifts after a while, and the rhythm is intensified for a slightly more turbulent and dramatic finale. “Wave of Change” is bracingly direct, marching optimistically with the horns ‘singing’ a riff that resonates with both protest and victory. The rhythm section shines in its coordinated movements, and the track concludes on a sweet note.

“Acts of Exclusion” is a vehement shout against racism and xenophobia while addressing the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Following a firm pedal point created by bassist Chris Tordini, and a series of wild unison lines, Zenón and guitarist Miles Okazaki lead their own spontaneous riots. While the former serves up a dazzling stream of notes with occasional fractal dimension and a glimmer of Wayne Shorter, the latter creates lavishly with elements of free funk, rock, and experimental jazz in mind. It’s avant-fusion what you get. “Cultural Corridor” transports listeners to San Francisco’s multi-ethnic places, featuring Jacob Garchik on tuba and elated horn playing.

“Displacement and Erasure” critiques gentrification, employing a slow-simmered yet pulsing additive meter flow (3+2). Dave Holland Quintet suddenly comes to mind, and trombonist Alan Ferber delivers an absorbing solo, preceding Zenón’s blend of folk and post-bop dialects.

Golden City is both assured and daring, a manifestation of Zenón’s artistry as a composer, arranger, and world-class saxophonist. The results allow some exquisite finds.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Sacred Land ► 02 - Rush ► 03 - Acts of Exclusion ► 05 - Displacement and Erasure

Miguel Zenón - Law Years: The Music of Ornette Coleman

April 7, 2021

Label: Miel Music, 2021

Personnel - Miguel Zenón: alto saxophone; Ariel Bringuez: tenor saxophone; Demian Cabaud: bass; Jordi Rossy: drums.

The influence of alto saxophonist Ornette Coleman in modern jazz is as clear as daylight, and his groundbreaking music has become a tremendous inspiration for so many musicians. The chameleon-like Puerto Rican altoist Miguel Zenón is vary aware of this, being grateful to the free jazz pioneer, who would have turned 91 this year, for having opened his ears and mind for something more than just the traditional ways.

On this live recording, captured at The Birds Eye Jazz Club in Basel, Switzerland, Zenón revives Ornette’s music with a magnetic vibrancy and huge respect for his work, playing alongside Cuban tenor saxophonist Ariel Bringuez, Argentinian bassist Demian Cabaud, and Catalan drummer Jordi Rossy. The chord-less quartet was convened for the occasion only, and yet the musical synergy displayed throughout makes us believe they are frequent collaborators.

“The Tribes of New York” launches a freebop madness with the saxophonists glued in a powerful unison. While Zenón fills his speech with recognizable yet shifting rhythmic figures and superbly articulated phrases, Bringuez flaunts an adequate hard-bop proficiency that counterweights the former’s vocabulary. Refraining the exuberance of the horns, Cabaud embarks on a bass reflection that gains more rhythmic emphasis shortly before the concluding theme statement.

The bassist introduces the widely esteemed “Law Years” and also outsets its improvisational segment with bluesy bends and a palpable melodic touch. Tenor sax and drums go for a walk together after Zenón’s reactivation of the theme during a wide-ranging improvisation.

Playful and brash, “Free” has a well defined structural backbone but gets crammed with manifest accentuations in the melody, bass pedals, and a firm swinging motion that points out the direction to go. The smoky horns rise above this rhythmic flux, exploring the vast possibilities in their dynamic interplay. They also exchange lines on “Dee Dee”, one of Ornette’s most spirited tunes.

In consonance with the latter’s vibe, “Giggin’” grooves high with a straightforward posture, and if Rossy reacts to Zenón's alto, Bringuez develops ideas out of his own rhythmic cells. In order to balance the energy, “Broken Shadows”, the opening track of the terrific 1972 album Crisis, injects some tearful tones in the mix.

Law Years is a jubilant celebration of Coleman's legacy; its contagious joy is as plain as the nose on your face.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Tribes of New York ► 02 - Free ► 05 - Broken Shadows

Miguel Zenón - Sonero: The Music of Ismael Rivera

September 10, 2019

Label: Miel Music, 2019

Personnel - Miguel Zenón: alto saxophone; Luis Perdomo: piano; Hans Glawischnig: bass; Henry Cole: drums.

Phenomenal saxophonist Miguel Zenón has proved to be a master in synthesizing his Puerto Rican musical heritage - mainly represented by currents like Plena, Bomba, and Jibaro music - into an organic, personal sound grounded in contemporary jazz. For his new outing, Sonero, he gathered the long-standing international quartet that gives shape to his music - Luis Perdomo on piano, Hans Glawischnig on bass, and Henry Cole on drums. Collectively, they apply their potent chemistry to explore 11 salsa songs made popular by Afro-Puerto Rican singer Ismael Rivera. Zenón pushes the envelope through bold arrangements, creating an unrivaled hybrid sonority that makes his musical personality shine through. And guess what? The result is fresher than ever.

The 1961 hit “Quitate De La Via, Perico”, written by Juan Hernandez, is definitely one of the highlights. The saxophonist owns the moment, delivering a superlative solo fueled by the dazzling rhythm and making emotions flow in abundance as he reaches an extensive range on the instrument. With the rhythmic accents and variations preventing any possible monotony, Perdomo conducts a motif-oriented improvisation on top of a danceable Latin extravagance, and then is Cole who, behind the drum kit, energizes the setting with his vitality. The ostinatos spotted here and in several other tunes result from Zenón’s remakes of sonic cells drawn from the original songs, including Rivera’s vocalizations as well as fragments of bass lines and brass sections.

“El Negro Bembón” was another mega hit within the genre, here configured with enough expansions-contractions and tempo variations in a world-class arrangement that, once more, brings Cole’s drumming to the forefront in the last section. This is one of the two Bobby Capó-penned compositions on the album. The other one is the engaging “Las Tumbas”, which, re-ordered as a triplet like the original, gets a soothing nature in the hands of Perdomo before acquiring a spiritual vibrancy when Zenón takes the helm. The latter’s improvisation occurs already with a luxurious bass groove running underneath.

Filled with expeditious sax-piano unisons and impeccable rhythmic emphasis expressed with a deliberate push-pull traction, “La Gata Montesa” features solos from saxophone and bass. The passionate dissertation by Glawischnig is professed with such an empathic and clear melodicism that I found myself wishing it wouldn't come to an end. As a matter of fact, the rhythm section reveals an incredible generosity in numbers like “Traigo Salsa”, “Colobó”, and the closing “El Nazareno”, a song of faith that ends the session on a high note. Adventurously propelled by magnetic rhythms and aligned with cross-cultural elements, these tunes preserve the spirit and essence of the originals, but also allow us to luxuriate in the richness of jazz improvisation, especially through Zenón, who points out his vision with an electrifying combination of freshness, eloquence, and ferocity. He can really keep the listener on his/her toes.

Even on the affecting “Hola”, which reveals extra sentiment and absorption, the energy is strongly felt, whether through the iterative moves of piano and bass or through the bandleader’s laments subjected to a posterior vulcanization.

Surpassing Yo Soy La Tradición, its preceding album, Sonero is enlivened by the group’s immense sound and top quality. The rhythmic and textural diversity presented throughout never put the album’s wholeness in question, with each member contributing a little of themselves to create something meaningful and special.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Quitate De La Via, Perico ► 03 - Las Tumbas ► 08 - Hola

Miguel Zenón - Yo Soy La Tradición

September 20, 2018

Label: Miel Music, 2018

Personnel – Miguel Zenón: alto saxophone + The Spektral Quartet - Clara Lyon: violin; Maeve Feinberg: violin; Doyle Armbrust: viola; Russell Rolen: cello.

The powerful musicality and extended possibilities one can achieve by combining saxophone and strings were tested and confirmed by jazz giants such as Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, Ben Webster, Cannonball Adderley, Lee Konitz, and many more.

Drawing from several musical and cultural Puerto Rican traditions, saxophonist Miguel Zenón takes the concept to a completely different level on Yo Soy La Tradición, recipient of 8 chamber-like pieces written for alto sax and a quartet of strings. With the help of The Spektral Quartet - Clara Lyon and Maeve Feinberg on violin, Doyle Armbrust on viola, and Russell Rolen on cello - the saxophonist validates his own identity, exploring the Puerto Rican roots and heritage with compositional virtuosity.

Rooted in the Catholic tradition, “Rosario” is layered with sequences of rapid movements, occasional counterpoint but also a convergent unity presented in the form of unisons. Zenón breathes in synch with the quartet at his service, just like happens on the following “Cadenas”, a phenomenon metered in six, where the folk melodies of the saxophonist are subjected to violin responses and episodic replications.

Both “Yumac” and “Viejo” are connected to the Jibaro tradition. The former, set about like a Paganini’s caprice, has the quintet symphonizing tunefully with contrapuntal brilliance, pointillistic pizzicatos, and unfailing parallel lines; while the latter makes its way through arpeggiated interplay, having portentous slashes of cello contrasting with limpid saxophone wails in a beautiful dance of timbres. By the end, Zenón casts off an inspired solo. He pulls off another great improvisation on the melodious “Promesa”, a mournful lament inspired on the festivities of the Three Kings Day.

With a sequence of dominant chords in its harmonic progression, “Cadenza” waltzes steadily with the strength of a Mozart’s minuet until a pulse-free navigation makes us lose the sense of tempo. The final section reinstates the triple time, appending handclaps in an exultation of the Latin music's spirit.

Yo Soy La Tradición is a chamber tonic for the ears. Its complexities, in form and tempo, are hidden through cerebral arrangements that permit an intuitive readability of the music. Because in music, demanding executions usually require demanding listenings, get ready for the challenges this CD offers.

Favorite Tracks:

02 - Cadenas ► 05 - Viejo ► 07 – Promesa

Miguel Zenon - Tipico

January 9, 2017

Miguel Zenon: saxophone; Luis Perdomo: piano; Hans Glawischnig: bass; Henry Cole: drums.

Puerto Rican saxophonist Miguel Zenon, 39, is a multiple Grammy Award nominee, a meritorious recipient of Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellowships, a graduate of the Berklee College and Manhattan School of Music, and a member of the prestigious SFJazz Collective. Throughout his notable career, he has teamed up with Antonio Sanchez, Danilo Perez, Charlie Haden, Fred Hersch, and Steve Coleman, among others.

Zenon sticks to an illuminated pathway with his fresh album entitled Tipico, which comprises eight original pieces inspired by the musical language he has developed with the members of his longtime quartet over 15 years. His experienced musketeers are Venezuelan pianist Luis Perdomo, German bassist Hans Glawischnig, and Puerto Rican drummer Henry Cole who replaced Antonio Sanchez in 2008 when he joined the Pat Metheny Group.

Bursting with a vivid energy, “Academia” makes us rejoice with the melodic and rhythmic sophistication of Zenon’s dissertations, and the clarity and objectivity of Perdomo’s intimate approach. The tune disembogues into a sort of fast-paced Eastern dance.
“Cantor”, dedicated to his friend, collaborator and master composer/arranger, Guillermo Klein, subtlety plays with tempos, breaking them in a clever way toward a final harmonic sequence that suits Zenon’s take offs. The saxophonist, boosted by the fertile passages of the last cited tune, also excels in “Ciclo”, a soaring, cyclic movement fancifully grounded in the groove created by Glawischnig and Cole, and elevated by memorable solos from Perdomo and himself.

The title track plays a very unique role in the album, injecting warm rhythms and folkloric melodies from Latin American and Caribbean countries.
The saxophonist dedicates “Sangre de mi Sangre” to his daughter Elena. It features a warmly expressive bass solo and advances at a moderated 6/8 tempo.
The remaining three songs, “Corteza”, “Entre Las Raices”, and “Las Ramas” were dedicated to Glawischnig, Perdomo, and Cole, respectively, and built on musical ideas they had played before.
Elegantly put, “Corteza” flows through a blend of balladic and rockish pulses. The avant-gardish “Entre Las Raices” is a kinetic and passionately driven piece that unveils a more explorative side of the quartet. The highly crafted rhythm in “Las Ramas” seems to move back and forward, becoming a challenge for the responsive drummer.

The musical quality of Zenon has no weak points or artificial schemes, and the well-established unity he shares with his bandmates is great to observe. His genius is left loose in Tipico, a deeply genuine and exhilarating body of work that reinforces his status as a groundbreaking saxophonist and inexorable cat in the actual jazz scene.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Academia ► 03 – Ciclo ► 07 – Entre Las Raices