Customer Reviews

Jibaro

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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Want to hear The Next Big Thing from young jazz practitioners? Look no farther. Miguel Zenón is it.

He's got it all: monster chops on alto sax; a deeply delved folkloric compositional concept (indeed, he's the Edward Simon of Puerto Rico, with this disc doing for him what La Bikina did for Simon); bandleading acumen far beyond his tender years; and that je ne sais quoi that serendipitously graces fortunate musicians every now and again.

The comparison to Edward Simon seems most apposite to these ears. Just as Simon has been able to evoke the deepest strains of Venezuelan folk musics on his handful of remarkable discs, so Zenón has done with indigenous Puerto Rican musics on this disc. Indeed, some of the numbers sound as if they could be right off of Simon's La Bikina (e.g., "Punto Cubano," and "Alguinaldo," which just goes to show, I suppose, the deep affinity the various Latin musics have with each other). That's fine by me, as La Bikina is one of my all-time favorite discs. Another apt comparison might be Egberto Gismonti and Northern Brazilian Indian music. Or again, Omar Sosa and what he's done with Cuban folk music.

In any case, this is gloriously realized world jazz of the highest order, my absolute favorite kind of music. If you have any affinity at all for this sort of thing, you will not want to miss it.

With his recent release "Jibaro" Miguel Zenon has proven that the kudos that fans and critics have showered him with are right on. Here's why. Jibaro which means a certain Puerto Rico "folk music" is a showcase for Zenon's amazing composition skills[he wrote all the tunes] and his uniquely non-latin way of playing a "type" of latin jazz. While it's tough to categorize "Jibaro" I think it's really interesting that a Puerto Rican band leader,with several latin players,play distinctly non-latin sounding tunes on a cd devoted to the leaders homeland. There are no traditional latin instruments[congas,timbales,etc.]and in fact the band consists of a traditional jazz quartet.AND IT WORKS BEAUTIFULLY! Zenon's compositions snake with stops and starts. The jagged lines of his tunes are mostly interesting without cliche. The two tunes that stand out are "Chorreao" and the title tune "Jibaro". Again don't be fooled by the spanish sounding titles this is not your daddy's latin jazz[which I love].His supporting players are quite capable but Antonio Sanchez on drums deserves special mention.Sanchez along with Matt Wilson[check out "Wake Up!"]seem to be everywhere these days. Each man contribute steady,busy, interesting time while not sounding like they threw their kit down the stairs. Zenon has been everywhere lately. From the great SF Jazz Collective[check out their excelent recent release ] to the Mingus Big Band and of course his work with his original employer sax player David Sanchez[check out "Travesia"]. Miguel seems poised to build on those important collaborations along with his "good" previous cd "Ceremonial" with this release. "Jibaro" is interesting, beyond category, and an important cd for an upcomming star. Reccommended.

The most amazing aspect of this CD, is the spectacular ensemble. We already know that Zenon is a great Sax player, but the way he composed for every instrument is truly amazing. It's not just about his Sax; the piano(I love what he does!), the bass and the drums have their integral part and is a matter of making music as a group... great music! Even though you know the "jibaro" music or not, this is a CD you'll love; it's creative and refreshing, as well as musically interesting.

Miguel Zenon brings an energy to his recordings that holds your interest. His use of percussion and his experimentation with Latin jazz are a delight. We heard him live and he was a small, quiet, modest performer with a big sound. Energy--that's the single best descriptor for Zenon's music.

Good latin jazz. Many Puertorrican folk song melodies in these tracks. If you are Puertorrican you'll know what I mean.
Mr. Zenon can play the sax>
If you like latin jazz you'll like this one

This was a gift for my husband. He is so pleased with the CD. The service was prompt and it arrived in good condition. Thanks

I've been a fan of Miguel's music for a couple of years now-especially his last record, Ceremonial. But Jibaro takes his musical vision to an even higher level. He is one of the most creative and original voices in jazz today and Jibaro is, by far, my favorite jazz CD this year.

TENEMOS LA SUERTE DE PODER DISFRUTAR HOY DEL FUTURO DEL JAZZ , CON LA INCURSION EN ESTA MUSICA DONDE REINA LA IMPROVISACION, DEL JOVEN SAXO-ALTO MIGUEL ZENON. CON UN EXCELENTE TRABAJO DE INVESTIGACION DE LAS RAICES DE LA MUSICA TIPICA DE SU PATRIA, PUERTO RICO, CONTINUA SU TRAYECTORIA ASCENDENTE COMO UN VIRTUOSO DE SU INSTRUMENTO. DEJO DE SER UNA PROMESA PARA CONVERTIRSE EN UNA FELIZ REALIDAD....MIGUEL, JIBARO DE PURA CEPA !

Great ensemble playing and beautiful compositions. Keeps getting better every time I listen to it. Highly recommended!