Today’s FREE MP3 is doubly on-time. One, it fits with Hispanic Heritage Month; alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico.Two, the cat was just named a MacArthur Fellow. That means he’ll receive $500,000, no strings attached... a so-called “genius grant.”
(The MacArthur Foundation always manages to reward one badass musician amongst the scientists, writers and visual artists it blesses likewise. Last year it was bluesman Corey Harris. In 2006, jazz violinist Regina Carter.)
If you follow this link to Miguel Zenón’s website and scroll to the bottom, you can download a full 54-minute set that Zenón’s quartet recorded live in Paris (for radio broadcast) on May 16, 2008.
Click here to hear a portion on my Vox blog. This tune is titled “Ulysses in Slow Motion.”
The other compositions on the MP3 are “Santo” and “Third Dimension.” All three are from Zenón’s latest album, “Awake,” which was produced by Branford Marsalis.
If you like what you hear, check out the 5-minute promo video at Amazon.com. It includes a testimonial from Marsalis.
This guy is a great talent on the saxophone. Check the Liberation Music Orchestra's Not in Our Name and he plays some baad shit. Thanks for this Dave.
ReplyDelete^ Cool. I assumed you might be familiar with him, DeAng. I bought "No in Our Name" on your recommendation, but haven't had a chance to spin it yet.
ReplyDeleteSpin that thing, brotha. You will love the medley they do on America the Beautiful/Lift Ev'ry Voice/Skies Over America. Some beautiful dissonance that I know a musicologist like yourself will dig.
ReplyDeleteIs it me or did Barack beat McCain down like Larry Holmes did Muhammed Ali? The commentators seemed to think it was even. I didn't see it, and I'm not being biased about it. McCain put me to sleep.