Miguel Zenon: Alma Adentro - The Puerto Rican Songbook

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 Zenon is doing the same thing for Puerto Rico.

While calling somebody a "star" in jazz might seem like an oxymoron, when considering the lower-than-deserved profile of the genre on the national and international stages, Zenon fits the bill like few others. As of the recording of this 2011 album, Zenon, only in his early thirties, has already carved out a place as one of the defining saxophone voices of his generation.


Having already received a Guggenheim Fellowship and MacArthur Fellowship (a.k.a. the "genius grant") at such an early age, some feel that he has been wrongfully fast-tracked in a genre where the experience of elders is usually prized over the enthusiasm and creative spirit of youth; but his solo albums and continuing work with the SFJAZZ Collective, as the only remaining charter member of that groundbreaking group, have confirmed how deserving he really is of all of the positive press, awards and honors that have been thrust upon him.

While Zenon has put out a few albums that don't touch on his heritage, Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook is his third effort, following Jibaro (Marsalis Music, 2005) and Esta Plena (Marsalis Music, 2009), in promoting a fusion of Puerto Rican traditions and modern jazz ideals.

While those earlier efforts were original affairs which tied Puerto Rican folkloric traditions into Zenon's compositional mindset, this album is about bringing Zenon's voice and originality into new arrangements of classic songs from his native country. Composers like Sylvia Rexach, Rafael Hernandez, and Bobby Capo receive their due here, as Zenon salutes their contributions to the Puerto Rican Songbook.

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