Miguel Zenón -][- JIBARO – [Marsalis Music, 2005] –

Tags

Bandleader, Composer, Marsalis Music, Miguel Zenón, Saxophonist

Miguel Zenón, JIBARO

Miguel Zenón -][- Jíbaro –Mp3– [Marsalis Music, 2005]

Want to hear The Next Big Thing from young jazz practitioners? Look no farther. Miguel Zenón is it.

He’s got it all: monster chops on alto sax; a deeply delved folkloric compositional concept (indeed, he’s the Edward Simon of Puerto Rico, with this disc doing for him what La Bikina did for Simon); bandleading acumen far beyond his tender years; and that je ne sais quoi that serendipitously graces fortunate musicians every now and again.

The comparison to Edward Simon seems most apposite to these ears. Just as Simon has been able to evoke the deepest strains of Venezuelan folk musics on his handful of remarkable discs, so Zenón has done with indigenous Puerto Rican musics on this disc. Indeed, some of the numbers sound as if they could be right off of Simon’s La Bikina (e.g., “Punto Cubano,” and “Alguinaldo,” which just goes to show, I suppose, the deep affinity the various Latin musics have with each other). That’s fine by me, as La Bikina is one of my all-time favorite discs. Another apt comparison might be Egberto Gismonti and Northern Brazilian Indian music. Or again, Omar Sosa and what he’s done with Cuban folk music. -[::: Jan P. Dennis | Customer Review | Amazon.com :::]-

Guillermo Klein -][- CARRERA – [Sunnyside, 2012] –

Tags

Bill McHenry, Chris Cheek, Composer, Diego Urcola, Fernando Huergo, Guillermo Klein, Jeff Ballard, Miguel Zenón, Pianist, Richard Nant, Sandro Tomasi, Sunnyside Communications, Taylor Haskins, Vocalist

Guillermo Klein, CARRERA

Guillermo Klein -][- CARRERA –Mp3– [Sunnyside, 2012] –

Acclaimed musical polyglot Guillermo Klein continues to astound listeners with his unique conception of modern music, a unique blend of sounds from a multitude of influences including popular, modern classical, tango and jazz. On his new recording Carrera (May 8, 2012), Klein returns with his devoted Los Guachos as they prove that they are one of the most diverse and capable ensembles performing today. The eclectic repertoire on the album includes original compositions by Klein and members of Los Guachos along with arrangements of pieces written by famed Argentine composers Juan Carlos Cobián and Alberto Ginastera.

Miguel Zenón and Laurent Coq -][- RAYUELA – [Sunnyside, 2012] –

Tags

Arts, Composer, Dan Weiss, Dana Leong, entertainment, Julio Cortázar, Laurent Coq, Miguel Zenón, Pianist, Saxophonist, Sunnyside

Miguel Zenón and Laurent Coq, RAYUELA

Miguel Zenón and Laurent Coq -][- RAYUELA –Mp3– [Sunnyside, 2012] –

The music on this recording was inspired by the book Rayuela, by the Argentine writer Julio Cortázar. This masterpiece has long provided me with an immense amount of inspiration and ideas, forging a possibility for what art could be: a medium of boundless freedom, both for the creator and for the audience. The narrative in Rayuela takes place both in Paris and Buenos Aires, and it was indeed this “”French-Latin American”” connection that ignited the idea for a collaboration between Laurent and myself. We have become close friends through the years but had never had the chance to collaborate on a musical project before (aside from the casual performance here and there). Working on Rayuela seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Edmar Castaneda -][- DOUBLE PORTION – [Arpa Y Voz Productions, 2012 | Review] –

Tags

Edmar Castaneda, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Hamilton de Holanda, Harpist, Miguel Zenón

Edmar Castaneda, DOUBLE PORTION

Edmar Castaneda -][- DOUBLE PORTION –MP3– [Arpa Y Voz Productions, 2012 | Review] –

Harpist-composer Edmar Castaneda’s third solo album “DOUBLE PORTION” plays a dual role meshing together poetic, sumptuous and uplifting bouquet of songs with his unique signature. At the same time, he cultivates a provocative sound from the cavity of his soul and develops a stimulating yet progressive framework merges his voicings with a cluster of sensuous, adventurous and angelic impressions and baptize them as one to create a pool of authentic sounds.

Bassist/Composer Alexis Cuadrado Presents the World Premiere of “A Lorca Soundscape”

Tags

Alexis Cuadrado, Claudia Acuña, Dan Tepfer, Mark Ferber, Miguel Zenón

Musical compositions of Alexis Cuadrado with lyrics from “Poeta en Nueva York” by Federico García Lorca. “A Lorca Soundscape” is a 2011 commission by Chamber Music America, “New Jazz Works” program.

Featuring The Alexis Cuadrado Group
Claudia Acuña – Voice
Miguel Zenón – Saxophone
Dan Tepfer – Piano
Alexis Cuadrado – Bass
Mark Ferber – Drums

Alexis Cuadrado © by Álvaro Felgueroso

“A Lorca Soundscape” is a new work­­ by bassist-composer Alexis Cuadrado, reflecting on Federico Garcia Lorca’s 1930 book, “Poeta en Nueva York”, with a series of jazz pieces that utilize Lorca’s poetry as lyrics.

Lorca lived in NYC for a few months in 1929-30 and he wrote a heartfelt set of poems that reflect on the culture shock and loneliness that he experienced at the time. The book is a raw social commentary that connects with themes that are still an important part of the American reality today, such as the economic inequalities, racial-social discrimination or the brutality of the urban landscape. “Poeta en Nueva York” deeply connects with the current socio-economic climate, the “Occupy” movement, and the general population discontent about how our system is working.

Bassist – Composer Alexis Cuadrado Presents the World Premiere of “A Lorca Landscape”

Tags

Alexis Cuadrado, Bass, Claudia Acuña, Dan Tepfer, Jazz, Mark Ferbe, Miguel Zenón

“Listen to Cuadrado’s compositions and you’ll find every reason to take him seriously.”- Josh Jackson, NPR Music

Alexis Cuadrado

“A Lorca Soundscape” is a new work­­ by bassist-composer Alexis Cuadrado, reflecting on Federico Garcia Lorca’s 1930 book, “Poeta en Nueva York“, with a series of jazz pieces that utilize Lorca’s poetry as lyrics.

Lorca lived in NYC for a few months in 1929-30 and he wrote a heartfelt set of poems that reflect on the culture shock and loneliness that he experienced at the time. The book is a raw social commentary that connects with themes that are still an important part of the American reality today, such as the economic inequalities, racial-social discrimination or the brutality of the urban landscape. “Poeta en Nueva York” deeply connects with the current socio-economic climate, the “Occupy” movement, and the general population discontent about how our system is working.

Miguel Zenón -][- Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook [Marsalis Music, 2011]

Tags

Jazz, Miguel Zenón, Saxophone

If you haven’t heard it by now, Alma Adentro by saxophonist Miguel Zenón reassures music aficionados his impeccable voice is one of the most important to emerge on the jazz scene in the last decade. With this album, he reinvents himself within the body of this gorgeous palette of Latin music by boldly defining it from a jazz perspective. –Rob Young

Miguel Zenón, Alma Adentro: | The Puerto Rican Songbook

Miguel Zenón -][- Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook -(MP3)- [Marsalis Music, 2011]

Interpreting popular songs is part of the stock in trade of a jazz musician. Now, on Alma Adentro:The Puerto Rican Songbook Miguel Zenon brings that jazz tradition home – his home. Comprised of ten songs by five of the most of the most important Puerto Rican songwriters in history, Bobby Capo, Tite Curet Alonso, Pedro Flores, Rafael Hernandez, and Sylvia Rexach, who Zenon refers to as ”the George Gershwins, Cole Porters and Jerome Kerns of Puerto Rican song,” Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook illustrates the musical and cultural impact these songs have had.

Augmenting his core quartet – Luis Perdomo, piano; Hans Glawischnig, bass; and Henry Cole, drums – with a 10-piece wind ensemble, Zenon recorded the group playing in the same room, live ”to capture that certain energy.”

For more details about this Grammy Nominated artist visit miguelzenon.com.

..:: SOURCE: Amazon.com ::..

Flux Jazz Essentials for 2011?

Tags

African American, Ambrose Akinmusire, Bass, Ben Williams, Christian Scott, David Binney, David Sanchez, Drums, Eric Harland, Fabian Almazan, Female Vocalist, Flux Jazz Essentials 2011, Flux Music Essentials, Gerald Clayton, Gretchen Parlato, Hiromi, Itai Kriss, Joshua Redman, Miguel Zenón, Miles Español, Piano, Rez Abbasi, Saxophone, Sean Jones, Stefon Harris, Terri Lyne Carrington, Trumpet, Yellowjackets

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to my fellow jazz enthusiasts, as always it’s great to be with you. Although, it’s been an extremely stressful year economically and politically for so many globally I’m thankful regardless for those of us who are still here despite the mayhem that’s currently causing all this strife and pain. With that said, as a optimist times like this has a tendency to draw us closer to our love ones, make new friends and on the entertainment side of the spectrum expand our music collection to give us a positive outlet to delve into. In this case, as music goes so far this has been an exceptional year jazz wise. Therefore, this among many reasons led me to return and share with you a few of my favorite jazz albums that I stumbled into this year. If you haven’t, I hope that you find time to listen some of these titles (their well worth your effort). If not, please share with us some of your favorite recordings you’ve embraced this year. Thanks in advance, I’ll be delighted to hear from you!

The following selections in no particular order are some of my favorite Jazz albums for 2011!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

In my absence, I appreciate those of you who drop by and followed me on Twitter at your convince. One thing for sure, I plan to return in the near future to continue sharing with you some of the finest jazz, news, and reviews available.

Until then, take care and God bless.

Rob Young |The Urban Flux [… is jazz with abstract xpressions shaped by vibrant and unique voices!]

Miguel Zenón | Esta Plena

Tags

Afro-Caribbean, Jazz, Latin Music, Miguel Zenón, Saxophone

Miguel Zenón | Esta Plena – [Marsalis Music, 2009]

Miguel Zenón, Esta Plena

Marsalis Music is pleased to announce the release of Esta Plena a new studio album by alto saxophonist and composer Miguel Zenón. Last year, Zenón was a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, also called the genius grant. Remarkably, in 2008, he also received a Guggenheim Fellowship for musical composition, making Zenón the fi rst jazz musician to receive both awards in the same calendar year. Esta Plena, a product of his Guggenheim Fellowship, reinterprets plena, a traditional Afro-Caribbean music from Puerto Rico, with the sensibility and techniques of modern jazz. Initially, what drove these projects was a personal desire to know more about my own culture, he says. After I left Puerto Rico, I immersed myself in jazz for a very long time so I wasn’t really dealing with Puerto Rican music. I had been exposed to it growing up, but it wasn t until I began writing my own music that I really started to pay close attention to it. That s when I decided to explore this music and fi nd out more about my roots.

Esta Plena features Zenón s long-standing quartet Luis Perdomo on acoustic piano, Hans Glawischnig on bass, and Henry Cole on drums, spectacularly augmented with Héctor Tito Matos, Obanilú Allende, and Juan Gutiérrez on vocals and panderos (hand-held single-head drums).

..:: Source: Amazon.com ::..