Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
Flea Finds His Jazz Thing
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
Miguel Zenón’s third Marsalis Music release, Awake will be released April 1. It follows the alto saxophonist’s 2005 Jíbaro, a reinterpretation of the rural music of Zenón’s native Puerto Rico.
“The focus is more personal and philosophical than Jíbaro,” Zenón said. “Although that album also has a central theme. I wrote all of the music for Awake, and the individual compositions fell into an order around one of the older tunes, ‘Awakening,’ which represents a period of personal growth I went through. What resulted was an awareness of my priorities, and how I want to portray myself as an artist.”
Zenón incorporates the use of Fender Rhodes on four tracks, a string quartet and a three-piece horn section.
“I felt that the Rhodes would create a different sonic flow and push the music in different directions,” he said. “And once I realized that ‘Awakening’ would serve as a connection between the various elements of the record, I decided to add a string quartet for two tracks.”
The members of Zenón’s working band include Luis Perdomo on piano and Fender Rhodes, Hans Glawischnig on bass and Henry Cole on drums.
More info: marsalismusic.com
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