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Friday, July 23, 7:30pm Sponsored by The New Mexico Cancer Center
There have been few new voices in the jazz world that have caused as much of a stir and possessed as much individuality as saxophonist, Miguel Zenón. A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Zenón studied at the famed Escuela Libre de Musica, and later at the Berklee School of Music where he received numerous awards and honors. In his relatively short, but illustrious career, he has performed and/or recorded with David Sanchez, Danilo Perez, Charlie Haden, The Village Vanguard Orchestra, Bobby Hutcherson, The Mingus Big Band, Steve Coleman and Branford Marsalis, among others. One of the founding members of the SFJAZZ Collective he has also released four recordings including Jíbaro, which features a bold reinterpretation of the rural music of his native Puerto Rico and which helped earn him the overall Best New Artist award in the 2006 JazzTimes poll. In 2008, Zenón recieved a fellowship from the prestigious John Simon Guggenheim Foundation (as well as MacArthur “Genius” Award) to develop a project which would merge contemporary jazz with Plena music from Puerto Rico. This led to the release of Esta Plena featuring Tito Matos & Juan Gutiérrez, both members of another group featured in this year’s jazz festival, Los Pleneros de la 21.
Los Pleneros de la 21 (LP21) is one of the world’s premier ensembles performing and teaching Bomba y Plena of Puerto Rico. Also a non-profit organization based in “El Barrio,” (East Harlem) in New York City, they are a performing ensemble and educational entity that serves the Puerto Rican/Latino community. Founded and led by NEA National Fellowship Awardee, Juan Gutiérrez, the multi generational LP21 preserves the Afro-Puerto Rican traditions of Bomba and Plena through their performances, residencies and activities in venues all over the world. They have performed from coast to coast in the US and Canada as well as in Russia and Hawaii and are considered the leading professional Bomba and Plena ensemble in the US. The music, which melds European, African and Native Latino musical traditions “is about sharing and celebrating.” Their performances “...resemble much more of the spontaneous street jam out of which this music was born” and their enthusiasm, showmanship, and command of the genre has won them a respected place in the folk and world music circles. Los Pleneros de la 21 return to New Mexico this year in celebration of their first Outpost-sponsored tour of the state 20 years ago in 1990. $40/$30/$25/$15. $5 discount Members & Students (No Member Passes) LOS PLENEROS DE 21: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Sz2JvQYaT8&feature=related
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