Miguel Zenón News

Miguel Zenón: Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook (2011)

Publication: All About Jazz
Author: Dan McClenaghan
Date: August 24, 2011

The cover photo on alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón’s Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook is of two people dancing in the middle of a boulevard. They are nicely dressed. The man’s coat tail flies and their dance clasp is a passionate embrace, suggestive of a romantic yearning hitched to the side of a good time, a posture suggesting a sense of pride and dignity. And that’s what the music on this release is, in large part, all about.  Read more »

Submitted by Bobby on September 27th, 2011 — 11:20am

Miguel Zenón – Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook (2011)

Publication:   Exystence
Date: September 13, 2011

 When so-called “Latin jazz” comes up in conversation, music or musicians connected to Cuba or Brazil are usually the topic of conversation. While it’s true that Afro-Cuban stylings, bossa nova beats and sizzling samba numbers seem to dominate in this umbrella category, they’re only the tip of the iceberg that is the music of Latin America. Thankfully, some important jazz musicians are helping to broaden the rest of the world’s view on what Latin America has to offer. Pianist Danilo Perez has connected the dots between music from his native Panama and jazz, and alto saxophone star Miguel Zenón is doing the same thing for Puerto Rico. Read more »

Submitted by Bobby on September 27th, 2011 — 10:10am

Miguel Zenón: Alma Adentro

Publication: Financial Times
Writer: Mike Hobart
Date: September 24, 2011

 A studio-produced album from the Puerto Rican saxophonist

The pure-toned alto saxophonist captures the romance of his Puerto Rican heritage with clean cadenzas and the sway of a 10-piece wind ensemble – the album is subtitled The Puerto Rican Songbook.

The core pulse is contemporary modern, fuelled by a cracking rhythm section, but the swirl of flutes, woodwind and horns adds authenticity as well as textures, and is impressively integrated into the whole – the studio-produced album was live recorded. Zenón remains the focus, surging through the orchestral layers and burning to a climax.

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Submitted by Bobby on September 26th, 2011 — 10:56am

Miguel Zenón Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook

Publication: The Alibi
Author: Mel Minter

Date: September 22, 2011

 Though not yet 35 years old, saxophonist Miguel Zenón has already built an impressive, mature body of work that explores the music of his native Puerto Rico through the jazz lens. The latest in this growing oeuvre, Alma Adentro focuses on the Puerto Rican songbook, proffering a breathtaking homage to popular tunes from Tite Curet Alonso, Bobby Capó, Pedro Flores, Rafael Hernández and Sylvia Rexach. The absolute command and freedom of Zenón’s performances, and his perfectly articulated arrangements for his masterful quartet and a backing woodwind ensemble, deftly orchestrated by Guillermo Klein, capture the music’s lyrical urgency and supple romance.

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Submitted by Bobby on September 23rd, 2011 — 08:47am

Miguel Zenón: Alma Adentro Featured on WBGO's The Checkout

Miguel Zenón and host Josh Jackson talk about Miguel’s latest project on The Checkout. Miguel’ discusses his personal connections to the songs featured on the album and the histories of the original composers. Check out the interview here. Read more »

Submitted by Bobby on September 16th, 2011 — 09:34am