About Miguel Zenón

“This young musician and composer is at once reestablishing the artistic, cultural, and social tradition of jazz while creating an entirely new jazz language for the 21st century.”
— MacArthur Foundation, 2008.

Multiple Grammy Nominee and Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow Miguel Zenón represents a select group of musicians who have masterfully balanced and blended the often contradictory poles of innovation and tradition. Widely considered as one of the most groundbreaking and influential saxophonists and composers of his generation, he has also developed a unique voice as a conceptualist, concentrating his efforts on perfecting a fine mix between Jazz and his many musical influences.

Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Zenón has built a distinguished career as a leader, releasing fifteen albums under his own name. In addition, he has honed his artistic identity by collaborating with both established jazz masters and the music’s younger innovators, irrespective of style and genre. Zenón has toured and/or recorded with artists including The SFJAZZ Collective, Charlie Haden, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, David Sánchez, Danilo Perez, The Village Vanguard Orchestra, Kurt Elling, Guillermo Klein & Los Guachos, The Jeff Ballard Trio, Antonio Sanchez, Brian Lynch, Joey Calderazzo, Steve Coleman, Ray Barreto, Andy Montañez, Jerry Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band, The Mingus Big Band and Bobby Hutcherson.

As a composer he has been commissioned by SFJAZZ, NYO Jazz, The New York State Council for the Arts, Chamber Music America, Logan Center for The Arts, Miller Theater, The Hyde Park Jazz Festival, The John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, MIT, Spektral Quartet, The Hewlett Foundation, Peak Performances, PRISM Quartet and many of his peers.

Zenón has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, Revista Milenio, Bloomberg Pursuits, Jazz Times, Jazziz, The Boston GlobeBillboard, Jazz Inside, Newsday and Details. He topped both the Jazz Artist of the Year and Alto Saxophonist of the Year categories in the 2014 JazzTimes Critics Poll and was selected as Alto Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2020 (when he was also recognized as Arranger of the Year). In 2023 he was recognized by the same organization as the Composer of the Year.

In April 2008 Zenón received a fellowship from the prestigious John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. Later that year he was one of 25 distinguished individuals chosen to receive a coveted MacArthur Fellowship, also known as the “Genius Grant.” In 2022 he received an Honorary Doctorate from La Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the highest honor bestowed by the institution.

Zenón has given hundreds of lectures and master classes and has taught all over the world, at institutions including Conservatoire de Paris, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Columbia University, Princeton University, The Kimmel Center, The Banff Centre, Siena Jazz, North Texas University, Conservatorium Van Amsterdam, Musik Akademie Basel, Georgia State University, Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico, UMass Amherst and UCLA. He is also a faculty member in the Music & Theater Arts Department at MIT, as well as the current Visiting Scholar for the Harmony and Jazz Composition Department at Berklee College of Music. But perhaps what best reflects his commitment to education and cements his growing reputation as a cultural ambassador is Caravana Cultural, a program he founded in 2011.

The main purpose of Caravana Cultural is to present free-of-charge Jazz concerts in rural areas of Puerto Rico. The program makes a “cultural investment” in the Island by giving these communities a chance to listen to jazz of the highest caliber (Zenón invites some of the best musicians in the New York jazz scene to perform as guests), while at the same time getting young Puerto Rican musicians actively involved in the concert activities. Since February 2011, Zenón has presented a concert every four to six months. Each concert focuses on the music of a specific jazz legend (Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, among others) and is preceded by a pre-concert presentation which touches on the basic elements of jazz and improvisation.

Zenón lives in New York City with his wife Elga and their daughter.

 

Albums as a Leader

Zenón’s sixteen recordings as a leader represent not only his growth as a musician, but also his ability to constantly evolve and reinvent himself as a conceptualist and producer.

El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2 – with Luis Perdomo (Miel Music 2023) – The follow up to their Grammy Nominated 2021 release, this album further explores the Latin American Songbook in a Duo format, featuring music written by composers hailing from Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Panama and México.

Música De Las Américas (Miel Music 2022) Featuring original music by Zenón inspired by his passion for the history of the American continent, the album pays tribute to America’s diverse cultures while also challenging modern assumptions about who and what “America” is. The album showcases his longstanding quartet featuring pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Hans Glawischnig, and drummer Henry Cole, with special contributions from the illustrious Puerto Rican plena ensemble Los Pleneros de La Cresta and master musicians Paoli Mejías on percussion, Daniel Díaz on congas, and Victor Emmanuelli on barril de bomba. Música De Las Américas was nominated for a Grammy under the Best Latin Jazz Album category and recognized as one of the best jazz albums of the year by Jazz Times, The Jazz Journalists Association, All About Jazz and La Fundación para La Cultura Popular, among others.

 Law Years: The Music of Ornette Coleman (Miel Music 2021) – Recorded live at the Bird’s Eye Jazz Club in Basel, Switzerland, the album features the music of legendary saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman. Performing are Zenón with saxophonist Ariel Bringuez, bassist Demian Cabaud and drummer Jordi Rossy. Law Years: The Music of Ornette Coleman was chosen as one of the best jazz releases of 2021 by The Boston Globe, The New York City Jazz Record and Glide Magazine, among others.

El Arte Del Bolero – with Luis Perdomo (Miel Music 2021) – A duo album with Venezuelan pianist and longtime collaborator Luis Perdomo. The album was recorded live at The Jazz Gallery in NYC and features Boleros and other songs from the Latin American Songbook. El Arte Del Bolero received a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album as well as a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album. It was also chosen as one of the best recordings of 2021 by Jazziz, Slate Magazine and Fanfare Magazine, among others.

Sonero: The Music of Ismael Rivera (Miel Music, 2019) – This release pays tribute to Ismael Rivera, the legendary Puerto Rican vocalist and interpreter who revolutionized Latin-American music in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. The album (which features the award winning Miguel Zenón Quartet) boldly re-imagines classics such as “Las Caras Lindas”, “Quitate de La Via, Perico” and “El Nazareno,” capturing the spirit of Maelo while injecting it with the distinctive boldness of Zenón’s writing. Unheard but not unacknowledged, the stories the lyrics tell float in the heads of the musicians, as they channel the essence of Ismael Rivera into their own instrumental masterwork. Sonero: The Music of Ismael Rivera was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album and chosen as one of the best recordings of 2019 by NPR, Jazz Times, Jazziz, The Chicago Tribune, La Fundación para La Cultura Popular, Jazz Trail, among others.

Yo Soy la Tradición (Miel Music, 2018) is a collection of eight works for alto saxophone and string quartet which feature Zenón and the Chicago-based, internationally renowned Spektral Quartet. These chamber works reach far beyond the formula of a horn backed by strings, with the Quartet taking a central role in both driving and navigating the intricate compositional forms that are a trademark of the saxophonist’s music. Zenón set out to compose a series of chamber pieces taking both creative inspiration and formal patterning from his native Puerto Rico’s cultural, religious and musical traditions. The results are thrilling, and defy neat categorization with their emergent contemporary sensibility: structural beauty paired with emotional urgency. Yo Soy La Tradición received two Grammy nominations, for Best Latin Jazz Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo. It was also chosen as one of the best recordings of 2018 by The San Diego Tribune, The Chicago Tribune, Jazz Times, Arts Fuse, NPR and La Fundación Para La Cultura Popular, among others.

Típico (Miel Music, 2017) celebrates the Miguel Zenón Quartet, his working band of more than 15 years, which includes Venezuelan pianist Luis Perdomo, Austrian bassist Hans Glawischnig and fellow Puerto Rican drummer Henry Cole. The album features original music by Zenón, which was specifically written for the members of the Quartet and directly inspired by their individual playing and personalities. The end result is a testament to the band’s unique chemistry and their outstanding collective musicianship. Típico was nominated for a Grammy and a Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album and chosen as one of the best recordings of 2017 by NPR, The Chicago Tribune, Jazz Times, The Boston Globe, The Huffington Post, The San Diego Tribune and All Music, among others.

Identities are Changeable (Miel Music, 2014) is inspired by the idea of national identity as experienced by the Puerto Rican community in the United States, specifically in the New York area. All the music on the album is written around a series of interviews with several individuals, all of them New Yorkers of Puerto Rican descent. The narrative created by these conversations gave birth to all the compositions on the record, with audio excerpts from the interviews weaving in and out of each piece. The album, which is also complemented by a video installment by David Dempewolf, features Zenón’s longstanding quartet (with Luis Perdomo, Hans Glawischnig and Henry Cole) plus a twelve-piece large ensemble comprised of some of the best musicians in jazz today. Identities Are Changeable was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album and chosen as one of the best recordings of 2014 by NBC News, NPR, The Boston Globe, Rhapsody, All About Jazz and Jazz News Magazine, among others.

Oye!!! Live in Puerto Rico (Miel Music, 2013) features the debut recording of The Rhythm Collective, an ensemble first put together in 2003 for a month long tour of West Africa. The group includes Aldemar Valentín on electric bass, Tony Escapa on drums and Reinaldo de Jesus on percussion; all native Puerto Ricans and some of the most coveted musicians in their respective fields. Fed by the energy of the full capacity audience in attendance, the group delivers a high intensity performance which includes originals by Zenon and covers of Tito Puente’s “Oye Como Va” and Silvio Rodríguez’  “El Necio.”

Rayuela (Sunnyside Records 2012), is a collaboration with French pianist/composer Laurent Coq. It was inspired by the literary masterpiece of the same name by Argentinean writer Julio Cortázar (Hopscotch in English) and the compositions on the recording look to translate some of the most memorable characters and passages from the book into musical terms. They are joined by Dana Leong (cello and trombone) and Dan Weiss (tabla, drums and percussion), masterful musicians who helped create the unique ensemble sound that distinguishes this very special project.

Alma Adentro (Marsalis Music, 2011), is a tribute to The Puerto Rican Songbook. On it Zenón arranges and explores the music of five legendary Puerto Rican composers: Bobby Capó, Tite Curet Alonso, Pedro Flores, Rafael Hernández, and Sylvia Rexach (whom he considers “the George Gershwins, Cole Porters and Jerome Kerns of Puerto Rican song”). The recording features his longtime working quartet of pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Hans Glawischnig and drummer Henry Cole, plus a ten-piece woodwind ensemble orchestrated and conducted by close friend and collaborator Guillermo Klein. This groundbreaking project both honors the music of these masters while at the same time exposing their music to new audiences. Alma Adentro was chosen as the Best Jazz Recording of 2011 by iTunes and NPR, and was nominated for a 2012 Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album and a 2012 Latin Grammy for Best Instrumental Album.

Esta Plena (Marsalis Music, 2009) draws from the traditional Plena music style of Zenón’s home country and was supported by a fellowship from the prestigious John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. On it  Zenón augmented his quartet  to include three percussionists/vocalists and took on the additional roles of both lyricist and vocalist. Jazz Times wrote that Esta Plena is  “…music with integrity, energy, poise and a fresh vision of how the Afro-Caribbean jazz aesthetic can evolve without losing its deep roots.” In addition to being hailed by critics (New York Times, Village Voice, El Nuevo Día, Downbeat, The Chicago Tribune) as one of the best recordings of 2009,  the recording earned Zenón two Grammy nominations (one for Best Improvised solo and  one for Best Latin Jazz Recording of the year) as well as a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Latin Jazz Recording of the year.

Decidedly more personal and introspective, Awake (Marsalis Music, 2008) incorporates a string quartet and additional horns to Zenón’s core group and brings to the forefront his formidable skills as a writer and arranger. As Audiophile Audition enthused: “This is an album far beyond the usual sax & string outing, revealing a unique statement that communicates passion, intellect and spirit to the listener.” Awake also caught the attention of the international press, garnering it 5 star reviews and top honors in publications like Jazzwise (UK), Jazz Man (France) and Jazz Magazine (France).

Jíbaro (Marsalis Music, 2005), his third recording, was further proof that all the critical praise he had been receiving was well deserved. The recording is an exploration of a style of popular Puerto Rican folk music known as La Música Jíbara. The Chicago Tribune summed it up best when they wrote:  “The instrumental prowess of Zenon’s playing, the vigor of his compositions and the sensitivity of his band to Puerto Rican song forms point to new possibilities in jazz.” Like his previous recordings, Jíbaro was uniformly well received and appeared on many top ten lists including The New York Times, Latin Beat, El Nuevo Día, and the Chicago Tribune.

Zenón’s second recording as a leader, Ceremonial (Marsalis Music, 2004), was described by All About Jazz as a “ head on crash of Latin, Jazz and Classical traditions–modern Jazz at it’s very best, ” and garnered unanimous critical praise and recognition both within and outside the jazz world.

Zenón’s debut CD, Looking Forward (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2002), represents a snapshot of the very eclectic musical interests of the then 24-year-old musician, and was selected by the New York Times as the number one “alternative” jazz recording of 2002.

AS LEADER:

El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2 (with Luis Perdomo) – Miel Music (2023)

Música De Las Américas – Miel Music (2022)

Law Years: The Music of Ornette Coleman – Miel Music (2021)

El Arte Del Bolero (with Luis Perdomo) – Miel Music (2021)

Sonero: The Music of Ismael Rivera – Miel Music (2019)

Yo Soy La Tradición (Feat. Spektral Quartet) – Miel Music (2018)

Típico – Miel Music (2017)

Identities are Changeable – Miel Music (2014)

Oye!!! Live in Puerto Rico – Miel Music (2013)

Rayuela (Co-lead with Laurent Coq) – Sunnyside Records (2012)

Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook
Marsalis Music (2011)

Esta Plena – Marsalis Music (2009)

Awake – Marsalis Music (2008)

Jíbaro – Marsalis Music (2005)

Ceremonial – Marsalis Music (2004)

Looking Forward – Fresh Sound New Talent (2002)


AS SIDEMAN:

Raphael Pannier, Letter To A Friend (2023)/ French Paradox

Dan Tepfer & Miguel Zenón, Internal Melodies (2023)/ Main Door Music

Mehmet Ali Sanlikol, Turkish Hipster (2023)/ Dünya

Sammy Figueroa, Searching for a Memory (2023)/ Ashé Records

Jose Zayas Cabán, Ryan Smith, Casey Rafn, Miguel Zenón, Romance al Campesino Porteño (2023)/ Navona Records

Jason Yeager, Unstuck in Time: The Kurt Vonnegut Suite (2022)/ Sunnyside Records

Dave Meder, Unamuno Songs and Stories (2021)

SWR Big Band, Bird Lives (November 2021)/ Act Music

Chad Lefkowitz-Brown and The Global Big Band, Open World (October 2021)

Nando Michelin, Letters From The Quarantine (September 2021)

Ches Smith & We All Break, Path Of Seven Colors (June 2021)/ Pyroclastic Records

Pedrito Martinez, Acertijos (March 2021)/ Immediate Family Records

Raphael Pannier, Faune (September 2020)/ French Paradox

Seth Tracy, Zygmon (June 2020)/ Ropeadope Records

Spanish Harlem Orchestra, The Latin Jazz Project (May 2020)

Kurt Elling, Secrets Are The Best Stories (April 2020)/ Edition Records

Cesar Cardoso, Dice of Tenors (April 2020)

Luca Alemanno, I Can See Your House From Here (September 2019)/ Workin’ Label

SFJAZZ Collective, Live at The SFJAZZ Center 2018 (March 2019)/ SFJAZZ Records

Dave Meder, Passage (February 2019)/ Outside in Music

Stu Mindeman, Woven Threads (September 2018)/Sunnyside Records

Paoli Mejias, Abriendo Camino (July 2018)

Cesar Cardoso, Interchange (May 2018)

SFJAZZ Collective, Live at The SFJAZZ Center 2017 (April 2018)/ SFJAZZ Records

SFJAZZ Collective, Live at The SFJAZZ Center 2016 (March 2017)/ SFJAZZ Records

Guillermo Klein, Los Guachos V (March 2016)/Sunnyside Records

SFJAZZ Collective, Live at The SFJAZZ Center 2015 (March 2016)/ SFJAZZ Records

Dan Weiss, Sixteen: Drummers Suite (February 2016)/ Pi Recordings

SFJAZZ Collective, Live at The SFJAZZ Center 2014 (March 2015)/ SFJAZZ Records

PRISM Quartet, Heritage/Evolution Vol.1 (January 2015)/Innova

SFJAZZ Collective, 10th Anniversary (October 2014)/ SFJAZZ Records

Kenny Werner, Coalition (September 2014)/Half Note Records

Julien Labro, From This Point Forward (May 2014)/Azica Records

Bobby Avey, Authority Melts For Me (May 2014)/Whirlwind Recordings

Jeff Ballard Trio, Time’s Tales (February 2014)/Okeh Records

SFJAZZ Collective, Live at The SFJAZZ Center  2013 ( 2013)/ SFJAZZ Records

SFJAZZ Collective, Wonder – The Songs of Stevie Wonder (2013)/SFJAZZ Records

Alexis Cuadrado,  A  Lorca Landscape (September 2013)/ Sunnyside Records

Luis Perdomo, Links (May 2013)/ Criss Cross Jazz

Andy Montañez, Sueño (November 2012)

David Gilmore, Numerology – Live at The Jazz Standard (September 2012)

Guillermo Klein, Carrera (May 2012)/Sunnyside Records)

Miles Okazaki,Figurations (May 2012)/ Sunnyside Record)

Edmar Castaneda, Double Portion (2012)

Henry Cole & The Afrobeat Collective, Roots Before Branches (March 2012)

SFJAZZ Collective, Live 2011 8th Annual Concert Tour (September 2011) SFJAZZ Records

Aaron Goldberg & Guillermo Klein, Bienestan (June 2011)/ Sunnyside Records

Adam Cruz, Milestone (April 2011)/ Sunnyside Records

SFJAZZ Collective, Live 2010 7th Annual Concert Tour (October 2010) SFJAZZ Records

Antonio Sanchez, Live In New York At The Jazz Standard (August 2010) CAM Jazz

SFJAZZ Collective, Live 2009 6th Annual Concert Tour (October 2009) SFJAZZ Records

Miles Okazaki, Generations (2009)/ Sunnyside Records

Paoli Mejías, Jazzambia (2008)

SFJAZZ Collective, Live 2008 5th Annual Concert Tour (October 2008) SFJAZZ Records

Guillermo Klein, Filtros (2008)/Sunnyside Records

Hans Glawischnig, Panorama (January 2008) Sunnyside Records

SFJAZZ Collective, Live 2007 4th Annual Concert Tour (July 2007) SFJAZZ Records

The Jason Lindner Big Band,Live at The Jazz Gallery (May 2007)  Ansic Records

SFJAZZ Collective, Live 2006 3rd Annual Concert Tour (January 2007) SFJAZZ Records

Brian Lynch, Spheres of Influence Suite (2006) Ewe Records

Miles Okazaki, Mirror (2006)

Paoli Mejías, Transcend (2006)

SFJAZZ Collective,SFJAZZ Collective 2, (March 2006) Nonesuch Records

SFJAZZ Collective, Live 2005 2nd Annual Concert Tour  (January 2006) SFJAZZ Records

Edsel Gomez, Cubist Music (January 2006) Zoho Music

Charlie Haden & The Liberation Music Orchestra, Not In Our Name (September 2005) Verve

Mingus Big Band, I Am Three (June 2005)

SFJAZZ Collective, SFJAZZ Collective (May 2005) Nonesuch Records

Brian Lynch, 24/7 (April 2005) Nagel Heyer

Gilson Schachnik, Lampiao (2004) Candid

The Sound of New York Jazz Underground (December 2004) Fresh Sound New Talent

Chiara Civello,Last Quarter Moon (February 2005),Verve

SFJAZZ Collective,Inagural Season 2004(August 2004)

Charlie Haden,The Land of the Sun(August 2004), Verve

David Sanchez,Coral (August 2004)/Sony

Luis Perdomo, Focus Point(September 2004)/RKM

Paoli Mejías, Mi Tambor(2004)

Kendrick Oliver & The New Life Jazz Orchestra,Welcome to New Life(2003)/Sphere

Hans Glawischnig,Common Ground(2003)/Fresh Sound New Talent

The Jinga Quintet, A Day Gone By (2003)/Fresh Sound World Jazz

Ray Barretto, Hommage to Art Blakey (2003)/Sunnyside

Quite Sane, The Child of Trouble Times (2002)/Rykodisc

Guillermo Klein, Los Guachos 3 (2002)/Sunnyside

Sebastian Weiss, Momentum (2001)/Fresh Sound New Talent

David Sanchez, Travesia (2001)/Columbia

Greg Tardy, Abundance (2001)/Palmetto Jazz

Stephan Crump, Tuckahoe (2001)/Accurate

David Sanchez, Melaza (2000)/Columbia

Either/Orchestra,More Beautiful Than Death (2000)/Accurate

Gilson Schachnik, Raw (2000)/Brownstone

Gabriel Rodriguez, Beginning (1999)