For some, the combination of jazz and spoken word conjures excruciating images of beret-clad beatniks spouting sour nothings over second-rate be-bop, but Miguel Zenón’s evocative suite exploring his Puerto Rican heritage couldn’t be more different.
Layering his own intelligent writing for a large ensemble with interviews he has conducted with members of the “New Yorican” community, the saxophonist’s ninth release is a thought-provoking examination of cultural and political identity in the 21st century.
New York’s diaspora communities have always been the richest seams in the city’s musical motherlode, and Zenón’s powerful writing – with nods to Charles Mingus, Hermeto Pascoal and Steve Coleman – excavates his native island’s contribution in a way that is both grounded and revelatory.
