Saturday, 16th November
The Serbian National Theatre
Miguel Zenón, alto saxophone
Luis Perdomo, piano
Hans Glawischnig, bass
Henry Cole, drums
MIGUEL ZENÓN, alto saxophone
This young musician and composer is at once reest abolishing the artistic, cultural, and social tradition of jazz while creating an entirely new jazz language for the 21 st century. (Mac Arthur Foundation,2008).
Multiple Grammy Nominee and Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow Miguel Zenón represents as elect group of musicians who have masterfully balanced and blended the often-contradictory poles of innovation and tradition. Widely considered as one of the most ground breaking and influential saxophonists of his generation, he has also developed a unique voice as a composer and as a conceptualist, concentrating his efforts on perfecting a fine mix between Latin American Folkloric Music and Jazz.
His latest release, 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.
Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Zenón studied classical saxophone at the Escuela Librede Música in Puerto Rico before receiving a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies from Berklee College of Music, and a master’s degree in Jazz Performance at Manhattan School of Music. Zenón’s more formal studies, however, are supplemented and enhanced by his vast and diverse experience as asidemanand collaborator. Through out his career he has divided his time equally between working with older jazz masters and working with the music’s younger innovators –irrespective of styles and genres. The list of musicians Zenón has toured and/or recorded with includes: Charlie Haden, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, David Sánchez, Danilo Perez, The Village Vanguard Orchestra, Guillermo Klein & Los Guachos, The Jeff Ballard Trio, Antonio Sanchez, David Gilmore, Paoli Mejias, Brian Lynch, Jason Lindner, Miles Okazaki, Ray Barreto, Andy Montañez, Jerry Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band, The Mingus Big Band, Bobby Hutcherson and Steve Coleman.
He is also a founding member of the groundbreaking SFJAZZ Collective, a group whose past and current members include Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Lovano, Joshua Redman, Brian Blade, Nicholas Payton, Dave Douglas and Eric Harland. In the years 2012 and 2013, Zenón’s association with SFJAZZ expanded even further, when he served as resident artistic director for the first two seasons of the SFJAZZ Center, along with Bill Frisell, Jason Moran, Regina Carter and John Santos.
Zenón’s ten recordings as a leader (including the above mentioned Típico) represent not only his growth as amusician, but also his ability to constantly evolve and reinvent himself as a conceptualist and producer.
His 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.
His 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.
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.
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 was admirably put in Audiophile Audition: “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 review sand top honors in publications like Jazz wise (UK), Jazz Man (France) and Jazz Magazine (France).
Zenón returned to his Puerto Rican roots for inspiration in his next outing, Esta Plena (Marsalis Music, 2009), which draws from the traditional Plena music style of his home country and was supported by a fellowship from the prestigious John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. Onit 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.
Alma Adentro (Marsalis Music, 2011), isatributeto The Puerto Rican Songbook. On it he arranges and explores the music of five legendary Puerto Rican composers: Bobby Capó, Tite Curet Alonso, Pedro Flores, Rafael Hernández, and Sylvia Rexach (whomhe considers “the George Gershwins, Cole Portersand Jerome Kerns of Puerto Ricansong”). The recording features his longtime working quartet of pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Hans Glawischnig and drummer Henry Cole, plus a ten-piece wood wind ensemble orchestrated and conducted by close friend and collaborator Guillermo Klein. This ground breaking project both honors the music of the semasters 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.
Rayuela (Sunnyside Records 2012), is a collaboration with French pianist/composer Laurent Coq. It was inspired by the literary masterpiec e of the same name by Argentinean writer JulioCortázar (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 help create the unique ensemble sound that distinguishes this very special project.
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 Drumsand Reinaldode 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 Rodriguez’ “ElNecio”.
Identities Are Changeable (MielMusic, 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 the conversations gave birth to all the compositions on the record, with audio excerpts from the interviews weaving in and out each piece. The album, which is also complemented by a video instalment by David Dempewolf, features Zenón’s longstanding quartet (with Luis Perdomo, Hans Glawischnigand HenryCole) 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.
As a composer he has been commissioned by SFJAZZ, The New York State Councilforthe Arts, Chamber Music America, Logan Centerfor The Arts, The Hyde Park Jazz Festival, The John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, Jazz Reach, Peak Performances, PRISM Quartet and many of his peers.
He has been featured in articles on publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, Bloomberg Pursuits, Jazz Times, Jazziz ,Boston Globe, Billboard, Jazz Inside, Newsday, Details, as well as gracing the cover of Down beat Magazine on two occasions (2010 & 2014). He has also topped the Rising Star Alto Sax category of the Downbeat Critic’s Poll on four different occasions, topped both the Jazz Artist of the Year and Alto Saxophonist of the Year categories on the 2014 Jazz Times Critics Poll and was selected as the 2015 Alto Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalist Association.
Zenon’s biography would not be complete without discussing his role as an educator. In 2003, he was chosen by the Kennedy Center to teach and perform in West Africa as part of their Jazz Ambassador program. Since then, he has given hundreds of lectures and masterclasses and has taught all over the world at institutions which include: The Banff Centre, Berklee College of Music, Siena Jazz, Universidad Veracruzana, Conservatorium Van Amsterdam, Musik Akademie Basel, Conservatoire de Paris, University of Manitoba, Manhattan School of Music, Columbia University, Princeton University, UMass-Amherst and the Brubeck Institute. He is also a permanent faculty member at New England Conservatory of Music. But perhaps what best reflects his commitment to education and cements his growing reputation as a”culturalambassador”, is a program that he founded in 2011, called Caravana Cultural.
The main purpose of Caravana Cultural is to present free-of-charge Jazz concerts in rural areas of Puerto Rico. The program makes a”culturalinvestment” in the Island by giving these communities a chance to listen to jazz of the highest calibre (Zenón invites some of the best musicians in the NewYork 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 (CharlieParker, MilesDavis, DukeEllington, amongothers) and is preceded by a pre-concert presentation which touches on the basic elements of jazz and improvisation. Since 2005 Zenón has also personally organized “JazzJamSessions” in the area of San Juan, as a way of creating a platform for younger jazz musicians to grow and interact with one another.
In 2008 he was selected as one of 25 distinguished individuals to receive the prestigious and coveted Mac Arthur Fellowship, more commonly known as the “GeniusGrant”.
Zenón lives in NewYork City with his wife Elga and their daughter.
LUIS PERDOMO, piano
Luis is one of the most active jazz pianists in NYC. Originally from Venezuela, he began playing piano at age 10, and byage 12 he was playing professionally on radio and TV as well as at concerts and clubs.
Lateron, Luis moved to the U.S. to attend the Manhattan School of Music on a scholarship, he graduated in 1997 and would later obtain a Master’s degree from Queens College, where he was a student of the great pianist Sir Roland Hanna.
Soon after moving to NewYork, he quickly established himself as an in-demand pianist amassing quite an impressive resume. Some of the artists Luis has recorded and/or performed with include Ravi Coltrane, David Sanchez, Tom Harrell, John Patitucci, Ray Barretto, Brian Lynch, Miguel Zenon, Dave Douglas, David Weissand The Cookers, David Gilmore, Ralph Irizarry & Timbalaye, 90Miles, Chico Freeman and Steve Turre, among others; a list that is as not able both by its high standardas well as its diversity. Luis is also recognized as a longstanding member of several bands, most notably group sledby Ravi Coltrane, with whom he spent 10 years and Miguel Zenon, with whom he has had a collaboration that is currently on its 17th year. Luis has made also a mark as a performer, composer and arranger on recordings by Ray Barretto, Ignacio Berroa, John Benitez and Ralph Irizarry, and he has also been commissioned as composer by the Jazz Gallery, The Afro Bop Alliance and by Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. He can be heard most recently on both Grammy nominated Ravi Coltrane’s “Spirit Fiction“and Miguel Zenón’s “Identitiesare Changeable“.
In 2002 he obtained the 2nd Grand Prix at the “3rd Martial Solal Jazz Piano Competition” in Paris, amongst a pool of 66 international pianists.
As a sideman, Luis has performed in most major music festivals and venues in over 50 countries, and as a leader he has toured in Europe, Japan, South America and the U.S.
Luis has also been very active world wide in recent years as a teacher, solo artist, and as a leader of his own trio: The Controlling Ear Unit and several other projects, and has released nine highly praised recordings as a leader: Focus Point (2005), Awareness (2006), and the highly acclaimed Universal Mind featuring Drew Gress and Jack Dejohnette (2012) for Ravi Coltrane’s RKM Musiclabel. Pathways in2008, The Infancia Projectin 2012, and Links in 2013 were recorded for Criss Cross Jazz.
His project Twenty-Two, with the “Controlling Ear Unit” was released in 2015 on the Hot Tone Music label. This high octane CD unites Luis with bassist/vocalist Mimi Jones and drummer Rudy Royston. The two most recent CD’s: Montage; Luis’first solo piano output and Spirits and Warriors; aquintet release for the Criss Cross Jazz label which features drum legend Billy Hart, were released in May2016.
Luis Perdomo has also participated in over 200 recordings as a side man.
As an educator, Luis has taught masterclasses at the Conservatories of Amsterdam and Paris, Princeton University, Hochschule Fur Musik und Theater (Munich,Germany), Berklee (Valencia,Spain), IUDEM in Caracas, Venezuela, Esmuva (Madrid,Spain); and the Jazz Schoolin Berkeley, CA among others. He has taught summerjazz camps including the“Jazzin July”at the University of Massachussetts, Langnau Jazz Nights in Switzerland; Banff International Workshop and the University of Manitobain Canada, Badajoz Jazz Worshopin Spain; Universidad EAFIT in Medellin; Tonica Jazz Festival in Guadalajara, Mexico and the Guimaraes Jazz Workshopsin Portugal, where he has also conducted his own compositions with the “Big Bande Ensemblede Cordas da ESMAE”, among others.
In 2016, Mr Perdomo served as the artistic director of the Langnau Jazz Nights in Switzerland, where he was responsible for selecting the faculty, managing the budget, served as faculty and student advisor, taught masterclasses and private instruction, conducted student combos, and produced the faculty concert and presentation.
Currently Luis serves as an adjunct piano professor at Queens College in New York City.
For more information, please visit www.luisperdomojazz.com.
HANS GLAWISCHNIG, bass
Hans Glawischnig is one of the most in-demand bassists and composers on the New York jazz scene today. Born in Graz, Austria, he first started playing the violin at age 6, then switched to the bass in his early teens.
Here located to the United States in 1989 and earned scholarships to the Berklee College of Music and Manhattan School of Music, where he received his B.A. (magnacumlaude) and M.A. degrees, respectively.
He began a long string of associations as a sideman with artists as wide-ranging as Bobby Watson, Maynard Ferguson, Paquito D’Riviera, Ravi Coltrane, Kenny Werner, Brian Lynch, the Mingus Big Band, Billy Cilds, Joe Locke, Eward Simon, Claudia Acuna, Carolyn Leonhart, Donny McCaslin, Dafnis Prieto, Dave Binney, Ben Monder and Billy Childs, just to name a few, and has appeared on more than 60 recordings.
Since 1996 he has been active in the Latin Jazz arena as a member of Ray Barretto’s New World Spirit Sextet, as well as David Sanchez’ Melaza’ Sextet, an ensemble which recorded several Grammy-nominated CDs. Presently he is a member of Miguel Zenon’s quartet which has recorded 8 CDs and tours, having appeared at many internationally renowned festivals in Montreal, North Sea, Umbria, Newport, Monterey, Tokyo, Seouland Montreux.
In 2006 he began a fruitful association with Chick Corea, performing the pianomaster’s new work The Continents during a summer European tour. The piece was subsequently recorded and released in 2012 on the Deutsche Grammophon label. Several small group appearances followed, the most recent being a week-long trio engagementat Jazz Alleyin Seattle with drummer Brian Blade.
Chick also appears as a guest on Hans’ second release, Panorama for Sunnyside Records, acritically acclaimed CD that, like Hans’ first recording, Common Ground for Fresh Sounds/NewTalent, features original compositions exclusively. His most recent release is entitled Jahira and showcases Hans’ affinity for the acoustic bass guitar and features him in an intimate trios etting with saxophonist Samir Zarif and drummer Eric Doob.
HENRY COLE,drums
Drummer Henry Cole is at the forefront of a growing wave of jazz innovation and cross-cultural rhythmin the 21 st century. With his flexibility, grace and sheer power behind the drumkit, he has proven in dispensable to the sound of some of the world’s most acclaimed jazz groups, including the Grammy-nominated Miguel Zenón Quartet, Grammy winner David Sánchez, The Gary Burton Quartet, Quincy Jone’s Global Gumbo, Alfredo Rodriguez Trio, The Ben Wendel Quartet and the all-starquartet “90Miles” featuring Sánchez, Stefon Harris and Nicholas Payton.
A Puerto Rican native, and a current resident of New York, he hastoured throughout the globe, performing in the U.S., Europe, Mexico, Central America, Korea, and Japan. He combines various musical influences – Puerto Rican folklore, funk and R&B, jazz and Afro – Caribbean rhythms – creating his own unique genre that bridges the traditional with the contemporary. When not on tour, he teaches musicians in acclaimed classrooms, including those of Manhattan School of Music and The New School. His main goal is to see music as “One World,” a space beyond styles, reaching out to audiences of all kinds with a message of determination and unity. By the end, Henry Cole will “have made you smile, made you think, surprised you, and – most of all – made you want to dance” (JamBands).
Henry Cole is a unique musician. A spiritualist first, this aspect of his characterin forms everything else that follows. Cole’s music has a hypnotic effect on the inner ear, and it strikes deep inside the soul transmitting its powerful electricity to the whole body enroute. Then there is that seductive energy that radiates from the skins of his drums, fibrillating at uncountable beats a minute as they are propelled by the magical wandlike effect of his sticks as they strike those skins, eyeless, but leaden with the rhythms of heart and soul. Cole has left an indelible mark on music with a singularly memorable debut record, so aptly titled a stoalmost point in the direction in which the master drummer will be headed in the near future. –The World Music Report