Album Review: El Arte del Bolero from Miguel Zenón and Luis Perdomo

Album:  El Arte del Bolero
Artists:  Miguel Zenón and Luis Perdomo
Websites: www.luisperdomojazz.com
https://miguelzenon.com

On September 28, 2020, amidst the pandemic and worldwide shutdowns, alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón and pianist Luis Perdomo recorded a concert at The Jazz Gallery in New York City that was live streamed in November of that year. When they heard the recording, they knew it was something to share with the public. That recording is their latest release El Arte del Bolero.

Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, GRAMMY® nominee and Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow, Zenón is joined by GRAMMY® nominated pianist, composer, arranger and educator, Luis Perdomo who was born in Venezuela. What the two share is their bond for bolero music, songs that Zenón says in the liner notes, "from the times of our parents and grandparents that somehow stuck around long enough for us to get to know them and truly love them. They are all as essential to our development as the music of Charlie Parker, John Coltrane or Thelonious Monk, but perhaps even more familiar. When we play these songs, we can hear the lyrics in the back of our minds—something that provides a very deep connection, one that is hard to replicate in any other situation. It really is almost beyond familiar. These songs are part of us."

The slow, meandering wails of Zenón's sax form searing swirls across "Como Fue," initiating a dialogue with Perdomo's ruminating keys that speak loudly about their effortless simpatico. The duo's grip on creating harmony enchants audiences. The pair's elegant strokes continue through "Alma Adentro" pervading a contemplative mood that soaks the iistener in a deluge of blissful sounding swells. The ethereal aesthetics project the image of floating above the surface as the slinking silhouettes of the saxophone emote a spiritual essence.

The duo displays a bluesy jazz palette across "Ese Hastio" sparking a lithesome swelter in the saxophone's tweets as Perdomo's keys radiate a sprightly gait. The relaxed fluidity of the pair, intermittently ebbing and flowing along "Juguete" is imbued with a starlight gaze that engulfs the listener in dreamy atmospherics.

Zenón shares in the liner notes, "There is nothing like making music with someone else, finding a common language we can grab onto and then just going and exploring that together. We hope this comes across here, and that you enjoy the music.” Not only do Zenón and Perdomo enjoy making the music but audiences will enjoy listening to the music.

Musicians:
Miguel Zenón - alto saxophone
Luis Perdomo - piano