UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Prolific Puerto Rican jazz saxophonist Miguel Zenón and his quartet will explore “Música de las Américas” in their Penn State debut at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, in Recital Hall.
Visit Miguel Zenón online, or call 814-863-0255, for more information about the performance and a free, related engagement event.
Songs from “Música de Las Américas” grew out of Zenón’s passion for the history of the American continent. The resulting album pays tribute to its diverse cultures while also challenging modern assumptions about who and what “America” is.
“This music is inspired by the history of the American continent: not only before European colonization, but also by what’s happened since — cause and effect,” Zenón said of the collection, released on disc in March.
While Zenón pondered the message, jazz critics praised the alto saxophonist’s techniques.
“The saxophonist has the slithery facility of a bebopper, but I also hear something of the forthright stance of Coltrane in his playing, despite the rhythmic complexity of his writing — and his distinctively varied use of his Puerto Rican background,” wrote a reporter for ArtFuse.org.
“His quartet has evolved to a peak of perfect interplay and cohesive elocution, and the additional percussionists and the low-in-the-mix vocals on two tracks add an element of exaltation,” wrote a reporter for AllAboutJazz.com. “This is Miguel Zenon's finest recording to date.”