What is your identity? That simple question is what Miguel Zenon answered for 1 ½ hours with his alto sax and band of Luis Perdomo/p, Hans Glawischnig/b and Eric Doob/dr. Performing music from his latest thought provoking album Identities are Changeable, Zenon used modern jazz harmonies to explore his Puerto Rican musical roots of rhythm and melody in a fascinating display of combining the simplicity of folk music with the complexity of jazz’s technical demands.
For the opening tune, Zenon performed the lyrical title track of his album with a lithe delivery from his warm horn, while the rhythm section slow built up the percolation, as if a volcano were slowly gathering lava. Perdomo’s large and warm hands combined melody and rhythm as the waves of energy built up to a rich wave that finally climaxed with a ripple on the Puerto Rican shore. Zenon’s embracing bel canto alto melded melancholy with Perdomo on the opening of “My Home” that turned a sharp corner into a narrow side street that had sharp angles provided by the kinetic Doob and Glawischnig, culminating in a complex unison three legged race between alto, piano and rhythm that was both astonishing to absorb and passionate to embrace. Perdomo delivered some melodious yet complex lyricism on the sing songy “Same Fight” tht featured dramatic chords side swipping a dramatic and deep groove, while Zenon navigated over the high tide wave as it ebbed and flowed, creating a white foam lead in to Glawishnig having his potent fingers pluck out a rich solo before the band retuned to a full bodied climax. The band closing theme of “Second Generation Lullaby” focused on Doob’s relentless undercurrent supporting the dainty melody of long tones which slowly coalesced into a rich fire of folk and cross rhythms. Zenon’s horn over Perdomo’s mellifluous piano was like a full moon of bright reflection, with clouded thunder provided by the intuitive Doob to close the piece with a rousing fiesta of a climax. While the concert’s music may have focused on the identity of American Puerto Ricans, the audience came away with a different identity, that of who the best working quartet may be travelling around the states right now.
Upcoming shows include The Preservation Hall Jazz Band with Allen Toussaint Nov 28/29 and Taj Mahal Feb 20.