After all his musical milestones and his constant celebration of Puerto Rican traditions, it’s great to finally have a live album from Zenón’s quartet—capturing the energy, warmth, and history that have shaped his sound for two decades.
Miel Music
Miguel Zenón – alto saxophone; Luis Perdomo – piano; Hans Glawischnig – bass; Henry Cole – drums
Twenty years with the same band? In jazz, that’s almost unheard of. And somehow, in all that time, Miguel Zenón and his quartet never put out a live record—until now. Vanguardia Subterránea captures them over two nights at the Village Vanguard, with Luis Perdomo on piano, Hans Glawischnig on bass, and Henry Cole on drums.
The Zenón original, ‘Abre Cuto Güiri Mambo,’ starts with his alto alone before the rhythm section kicks into a shifting mambo groove. The tempos stretch and snap back; his bop-inflected solo darts into the upper register, almost soprano-like, before handing off to Perdomo, whose solo flows in single, fluid notes with tight drums and bass behind him.
Zenón reworks Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe’s salsa classic ‘El Día de Mi Suerte’ into something both danceable and unpredictable, with repeated sax phrases riding a rolling bass and piano rhythm. “I’m not trying to replicate the original,” Zenón says. “I’m trying to draw elements from the original that I can use in my own way.” His ‘Vita,’ written as a birthday present for his grandmother, opens tenderly before bassist Hans Glawischnig steps forward with a solo that sings its own quiet story.
Other highlights include ‘Dale la Vuelta,’ built on a playful rhythmic puzzle—dividing the same stretch of time into 7 beats, then 8, and shifting back and forth—yet the quartet makes it feel natural and unforced. ‘Bendición,’ inspired by the Puerto Rican tradition of asking elders for their blessing, is a warm, affectionate tribute to Zenón’s mother. The album closes with ‘Perdóname,’ a reimagining of a hit by Puerto Rican salsa star Gilberto Santa Rosa, one of the best soneros, or improvising singers. Paying tribute to a legendary sonero through jazz—that’s classic Zenón, blending deep respect for tradition with a fresh, unexpected approach.
Zenón’s tone stays light and nimble, even when the band pushes harder. After so many years together, the quartet sounds completely in sync—flexing and weaving their rhythms without missing a beat. You feel the chemistry—the room, the crowd, and the band all coming together as one.
After all his musical milestones and his constant celebration of Puerto Rican traditions, it’s great to finally have a live album from Zenón’s quartet—capturing the energy, warmth, and history that have shaped his sound for two decades.
