Miguel Zenon@The Edye Theatre 11.19.11
By George W. Harris

It’s not often that you hear something that is not only new, but also
enjoyable. Alto saxist Miguel Zenon seems to have found a new path for
jazz by melding traditional music from his native Puerto Rico with John
Coltrane-esque jazz with his team of Luis Perdomo, Hans Glawischnig/b
and Henry Cole/dr . Together, they created music that combined the
romanticism of latin melodies with the adventureness of modern jazz,
satisfying both soul and mind in a way rarely achieved these days.
Promoting his latest album Alma Adentro, Zenon opened with “Silencio,”
featuring Zenon’s searing alto penetrating through the complex rhythms
created by Cole’s multilayered percussion, Perdomo’s cascading piano,
and Glawischnig’s nimble and intricate bass work. The title track, a
ballad, spotlighted Zenon’s agonizing alto, melding together with the
rhythm section’s folk melodies and complex beats. A pair of tunes from
an upcoming album, “Identities Are Changeable” and “Through Culture and
Tradition” mixed samples of New York Puerto Rican’s dialogue on
cultural identity with some post bop grooves. He started slowing down
the set with “Temes” which was centered around a serenade between alto
sax and bass, with Zenon sounding like an aching and forlorn lover, as
his horn cried to the audience. His closing tune of the sultry
“Juguett” left the audience wanting more, as with most flavorful meals,
you felt like one more bite would just do the trick. Fascinating
rhythms with the passion of Puerto Rico meeting the fever of 52nd
Street . Don’t miss him next time out!