A free Miguel Zenón download

Speaking of MacArthur Fellowships, watch me segue slickly back to Hispanic Heritage Month.

Alto sax man Miguel Zenón, a native son of Puerto Rico, received a $500,000 “genius grant” last year.

And Zenón happens to be one of those generous jazz cats who gives away FREE MP3s of his live performances. (Halfway decent sound quality, too.)

I want to highlight an 11-minute piece called “The Chain,” performed six years ago in Conakry, Guinea. Click here to stream it on my Vox blog. It’s more fusiony than Zenón’s usual stroke.

To download “The Chain,” follow this link to Miguel Zenón’s live downloads page, then scroll down a little. If you’re on a Mac, CTRL+click the download link.

Zenón also has a brand new studio album out (on Branford Marsalis’s label, Marsalis Music). It’s called “Esta Plena,” with Zenón exploring the African-rooted folk music of his homeland... plena music.

Click here to hear “Qué Será de Puerto Rico?”