A Blossoming Star
M. Murphy | birmingham, alabama United States | 09/20/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"With his recent release "Jibaro" Miguel Zenon has proven that the kudos that fans and critics have showered him with are right on. Here's why. Jibaro which means a certain Puerto Rico "folk music" is a showcase for Zenon's amazing composition skills[he wrote all the tunes] and his uniquely non-latin way of playing a "type" of latin jazz. While it's tough to categorize "Jibaro" I think it's really interesting that a Puerto Rican band leader,with several latin players,play distinctly non-latin sounding tunes on a cd devoted to the leaders homeland. There are no traditional latin instruments[congas,timbales,etc.]and in fact the band consists of a traditional jazz quartet.AND IT WORKS BEAUTIFULLY! Zenon's compositions snake with stops and starts. The jagged lines of his tunes are mostly interesting without cliche. The two tunes that stand out are "Chorreao" and the title tune "Jibaro". Again don't be fooled by the spanish sounding titles this is not your daddy's latin jazz[which I love].His supporting players are quite capable but Antonio Sanchez on drums deserves special mention.Sanchez along with Matt Wilson[check out "Wake Up!"]seem to be everywhere these days. Each man contribute steady,busy, interesting time while not sounding like they threw their kit down the stairs. Zenon has been everywhere lately. From the great SF Jazz Collective[check out their excelent recent release ] to the Mingus Big Band and of course his work with his original employer sax player David Sanchez[check out "Travesia"]. Miguel seems poised to build on those important collaborations along with his "good" previous cd "Ceremonial" with this release. "Jibaro" is interesting, beyond category, and an important cd for an upcomming star. Reccommended."
With Jibaro, Miguel Zenon stand at the apex of young jazzers
Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 06/12/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"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.
In any case, this is gloriously realized world jazz of the highest order, my absolute favorite kind of music. If you have any affinity at all for this sort of thing, you will not want to miss it."
Simply BRILLIANT!
YMS | San Juan, PR | 09/24/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The most amazing aspect of this CD, is the spectacular ensemble. We already know that Zenon is a great Sax player, but the way he composed for every instrument is truly amazing. It's not just about his Sax; the piano(I love what he does!), the bass and the drums have their integral part and is a matter of making music as a group... great music! Even though you know the "jibaro" music or not, this is a CD you'll love; it's creative and refreshing, as well as musically interesting."
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1