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URL: http://www.JazzMusicArchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=31866 Printed Date: 22 Dec 2024 at 3:28am Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 10.16 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Miguel Zenón : Golden CityPosted By: snobb
Subject: Miguel Zenón : Golden City
Date Posted: 23 Sep 2024 at 6:20am
There is one aspect of Miguel Zenón and his music that has an enormous impact on the ear, and that is the sound he extracts from his alto saxophone that is quite apart from his extraordinary – almost insolent – virtuosity on the instrument. This is the illusion that he is ‘singing’ through his instrument. His extraordinary intonation, articulation and phrasing sets his vocalastic style apart from all the players of the instrument bar none.
On the album Golden City Mr Zenón displays an extraordinary ability to dig deep into the emotions of a narrative much like a singer with both the dramatic and lyric abilities of an opera singer to intone – through his alto saxophone – emotions that portray stories of darkness and light. Thus, we have at the outset of this album Mr Zenón displaying an exquisitely dark tone in his story of California as he ‘turns down the lights,’ traversing its history before emerging with ebullience and hope into the gleam of sunlight that characterises – literally and idiomatically this Golden City.
On the album Mr Zenón – the composer – plays the brilliant archeologist digging deep into the historical antecedents of the State of California from its earliest times as the habitation of the Indigenous peoples such as the Winneman Wintu and the Ohlone [Mr Zenón deals specifically with their plight in Northern California] people through the state’s continued repression of the minorities – such as Chinese, Japanese, Central and South Americans who have made a home there. To traverse this period – from the first half of the collection of songs Mr Zenón ‘sings’ his dark music, and its themes in a dark exquisitely intense voice.
The orchestration of the music features the use of three trombones – including the extraordinary trumpet and masterful valve trombone of Diego Urcola on Sacred Land [which deals with the plight of early and late Indigenous populations], the equally consummate mastery of Alan Ferber on Displacement and Erasure [which brings to light the shadowy gentrification of San Francisco that displaced whole populations of Chinese immigrants].
Finally, there is tubist Jacob Garchik who turns to trombone and exhorts his instrument to weep and moan its way through Sanctuary City, a song that tackles the disturbing practice by the US Immigration and Customs incarceration of undocumented minorities leading to the State of California becoming the first “sanctuary state” – The Sanctuary City in Mr Zenón’s song about San Francisco.
The darkness in Mr Zenón’s narrative turns to the dawn in the Golden City just as Wave of Change breaks with the hopeful-sounding songfulness and narrative of Wave of Change and on through to the gleaming dénouement of the album which is entitled Golden. Although the orchestrations – featuring the trombones and Mr Zenón – create an atmosphere of the shattering power of darkness, the other musicians also make major contributions to Mr Zenón’s narrative.
The delicate, but decisive harmonic conception in the pianism of Matt Mitchell, the pounding bass and drums of Chris Tordini and Dan Weiss [who else] and the inclusion of the magical percussion colouring of Daniel Díaz are invaluable to the sheer colour and the depth of characterisation of the music throughout.
Meanwhile guitarist Miles Okazaki is absolutely masterful in creating the sinister feeling of twanging barbed wire on his work through Acts of Exclusion and 9066 – two of the darkest stories in the history of California during the years 1882 and 1942.
This is one of the most masterful productions of the year 2024 in every aspect of the art of music. Not only in the artistic development of Mr Zenón, but in that of every performer who brings his “A” game and shows himself to be completely attuned to the vision and artistry of Mr Zenón’s music on Golden City.
Deo gratis…
youtube playlist – Miguel Zenón: Golden City
Music – 1. Sacred Land; 2. Rush; 3. Act of Exclusion; 4. 9066; 5. Displacement and Erasure; 6. SRO; 7. Wave of Change; 8. Sanctuary City; 9. Cultural Corridor; 10. The Power of Community; 11. Golden.
Musicians –Miguel Zenón: alto saxophone, compositions; Matt Mitchell: piano; Chris Tordini: bass; Dan Weiss: drums; Miles Okazaki: guitar; Daniel Díaz: congas, tripandero and percussion; Diego Urcola: trumpet and valve trombone [solo on 1]; Alan Ferber: trombone [solo on 5]; Jacob Garchik: tuba and trombone [solo on 8].
Released: 2024 Label: Miel Music [miguelzenon.com] Runtime: 1:08:48
