Saxophonist Miguel Zenon opens his new quartet album Típico (Miel Music) with the hyperactive original “Academia,” which was inspired by his experiences teaching jazz at the New England Conservatory. He built the tune from exercises he developed for students, and between the tune’s breakneck pace and its harmonic jujitsu he seems keen on challenging not only his pupils but also his bandmates—pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Hans Glawischnig, and drummer Henry Cole—who chew up the changes and tempo shifts like a berserk Pac-Man. After using his last few albums to elaborate on the musical folklore of his native Puerto Rico, Zenon designed Típico without a conceptual framework, instead opting to simply show off what it means when a band locks in and fires on all cylinders.…
Saxophonist Miguel Zenon opens his new quartet album Típico (Miel Music) with the hyperactive original “Academia,” which was inspired by his experiences teaching jazz at the New England Conservatory. He built the tune from exercises he developed for students, and between the tune’s breakneck pace and its harmonic jujitsu he seems keen on challenging not only his pupils but also his bandmates—pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Hans Glawischnig, and drummer Henry Cole—who chew up the changes and tempo shifts like a berserk Pac-Man. After using his last few albums to elaborate on the musical folklore of his native Puerto Rico, Zenon designed Típico without a conceptual framework, instead opting to simply show off what it means when a band locks in and fires on all cylinders.…