Publication: 80 Grados
Author: Mariana Reyes Angleró
Date: September 2, 2011

The first section of this article is about Miguel Zenón’s latest project written in Spanish, and the second section includes an interview in English with Miguel Zenón Quartet bassist, Hans Glawischnig.

Para bajar o subir el diapasón en medio de un show los jazzistas suelen recurrir a los estándar como “Caravan” o “Round About Midnight”. Ese no es el caso del saxofonista Miguel Zenón. “Yo prefiero tocar una canción del repertorio latinoamericano, siempre lo hago”. Así empezó a hacer arreglos de distintos temas del cancionero popular y lo tenía listo para tocarlo con su cuarteto cuando hiciera falta. Read more »

Publication: Louisiana Weekly
Author: Geraldine Wyckoff
Date: August 29, 2011

Big Chief Little Charles Taylor of the White Cloud Hunters Indian gang and Joe Jenkins, who played percussion alongside Big Chief Donald Harrison Sr., quietly sat on the front porch of Jenkins’ house in the Musicians’ Village. The two Mardi Gras Indian veterans watched as a flock of media armed with notepads and cameras scurried around the newly completed Ellis Marsalis Center for Music just across the street. Inside, internationally renowned jazz superstars saxophonist Branford Marsalis and pianist/singer Harry Connick Jr. were holding court, talking about the Center that their mutual visions, determination and much work helped create.

That it is altogether possible that one day the two Musicians’ Village residents could share their sewing, singing, and tambourine skills with young people in a multi-million dollar facility almost seems incongruous. Equally unlikely is that this Center, complete with a state-of-the-art, acoustically superior performance and recording hall, sits in the Upper Ninth Ward. Not that long ago, the coming together of such disparate entities would have been deemed, well, at least improbable. Read more »

Publication: Ottawa Citizen
Author: Peter Hum
Date: August 31, 2011

Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook (Marsalis Music)
Miguel Zenón

Sitting behind me at the Newport Jazz Festival almost a month ago, a man was singing along with alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón as the alto saxophonist offered his lush and thrilling renditions of pieces by Puerto Rican composers.

I knew none of the tunes played by Zenón, his quartet, and an accompanying woodwind ensemble, but the music nonetheless worked its magic on me. Although the Newport Jazz Festival is packed two days straight, with pretty fantastic sounds, nothing I heard topped the set by Zenón saluting the music of his homeland.

I took home a copy of Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook, which was available at Newport’s disc tent but has only been officially released this week. I’m happy to say that Zenón’s latest disc is much more than a souvenir. Read more »