Miguel Zenón's Third Marsalis Music Release, Awake

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Miguel Zenón, one of the most exciting new voices in the jazz world, takes his most personal journey to date on Awake. This is the third Marsalis Music release for the alto saxophonist and composer, who was voted the overall Best New Artist in the 2006 JazzTimes Critics Poll. It follows Zenón's 2004 Marsalis Music debut, Ceremonial, a program of original compositions, and 2005's Jíbaro, a bold reinterpretation of the rural music of Zenón's native Puerto Rico. Now, the alto saxophonist and his talented quartet plus special guests present a program that is sure to bring even greater accolades.

The ten tracks chart what for Zenón has been a critical inner journey. "The focus is more personal and philosophical than Jíbaro, " he explains, "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."

One goal Zenón realizes on the disc is the incorporation of new colors, from the use of Fender Rhodes on four tracks to the addition of 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 says. "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." Zenón also presents his "Awakening" theme as an unaccompanied alto saxophone solo at the close, and as a midpoint explosion with three
additional horns. The members of Zenón's working band (Luis Perdomo, piano and Fender Rhodes electric piano, Hans Glawischnig, bass, Henry Cole, drums) are heard throughout and display the empathy that has made them a true ensemble.

These forces have come together to create the strongest statement to date from Zenón, who has also been turning heads of late through his affiliations with the SFJAZZ Collective, Guillermo Klein Y Los Gauchos and Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra. "I feel I'm growing as both a composer and a communicator of ideas, " Zenón notes. Awake captures that growth, as well as the passion, intellect and spirit that has become a Miguel Zenón trademark. Marsalis Music will release Awake on April 1.

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