MIGUEL ZENÓN: Esta Plena
Marsalis Music, 2009

MODERN/LATIN JAZZ – Acclaimed saxophonist Miguel Zenón digs deep into la plena, the street music of his native Puerto Rico, then merges the rhythms and cadences of that music with his own modern jazz sensibility. Zenón has an easily recognizable sound on alto: fast, dynamic, and percolating. The music sometimes bounces abruptly from one world to the other, but his quartet (supplemented by three vocalist/percussionists) keeps pace with deceptive ease. Very good!

Miguel Zenón - alto saxophone
Luis Perdomo - piano
Hans Glawischnig - bass
Henry Cole - drums
Héctor "Tito" Matos - lead vocals, percussion
Obanilú Allende, Juan Gutiérrez - vocals & percussion

* * * * * | Fo’s Picks: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10

1. 7:05 – hot drums, swirling sax wails away, taking simple melody to the sky
2. 7:48 – vocal refrain, deep rhythm, dramatic instrumental middle section
3. 6:16 – nice vocal tune, relaxed and chant-like; sax explores its edges
4. 4:53 – quick-paced and twisty instrumental; sounds damned difficult to play
5. 8:25 – tender, soulful vocal; glides softly & reaches high with emotion
6. 4:38 – solo bass intro; bittersweet piano/sax melody moans, calls out
7. 8:59 – great sound here: brooding start, but light bursts through the clouds
8. 8:01 – excellent! uptempo vocal, surging band, dramatic and very strong
9. 9:17 – solo piano intro; calm and deeply moody with some powerful surges
10. 6:50 – “Auld Lang Syne”(!) drifts into speedy, hard-hitting latin-jazz romp

[ Fo ] 01/17/10