It wasn’t too long ago that Miguel Zenón mesmerized us with El arte del Bolero, a duo between him and long-time bandmate, Luis Perdomo where they serenaded us oh so gently. In stark contrast to his songlike album, Miguel is back blazing a trail with Law Years: The Music of Ornette Coleman. It is a masterfully crafted tribute to the late great Ornette Coleman whose music shaped the music of jazz, and this album is proof of that. Filled with blazing tempos, explosions of creative twists and turns, and a relentless intensity this album truly goes full throttle even after the wheels have fallen off! Not reluctant to venture away from a winning formula, Zenón steps away from his working quartet and performs this music with an all international quartet featuring Ariel Bringuez who is Cuban, bassist Demian Cabaud from Argentina, and Jordi Rossy who is Catalan. The rapport between these four gentlemen is so telepathic, that it is scary at times.
The fireworks begin with Tribes of New York which sees the band come out the gate going from 0-100. After the melody is played, Zenón launches into a spiraling solo that grows and sends off Bringuez who pours an equal amount of gasoline into the inferno. If Tribes of New York went up to 100 the next tune, Free slingshots things into overdrive. The two saxophonists trade ideas at a dizzying pace that you almost wonder if their minds are tethered together. The intensity achieved by Cabaud and Rossy is not to be underestimated either as they are the cause of the fire! For Law Years, the band decides to put things into comfortable cruise control that grooves. Cabaud’s solo takes center stage after the melody, followed by the two saxophonists. Rossy takes a tastefully and energetically charged solo before the melody returns to finish the tune. The bouncy and playful Giggin’ just makes you want to tap your foot and it feels so good to listen to. Broken Shadows has a melancholic undertone befitting the title of this tune. It builds in layers with the melody always being quoted while someone is improvising over it.
The arco bass definitely adds a component of suspense that builds until he finally breaks into pizzicato when he solos. Things pick back up with Dee Dee which seems to go through a funhouse with mirrors of different shapes as the tempo is deceptive with the rhythm section hinting at double times at times, the saxophonists zigging and zagging together and apart so much that you can’t help but want to see when the next turn is gonna happen. The final homage to Coleman is, Streetwoman which takes us out in a swinging medium-up tempo. As with the rest of the album Zenón and the cast play with authority and exquisite taste, and perfectly round out these amazing selections from the mind of Ornette Coleman.
This album is a testament to how jazz has truly become a world art form as with all these artists not coming from America, one wouldn’t be able to tell their country of origin from listening. It’s one of the most creative and swinging albums I’ve had the privilege to listen to. Filled with the blues and that “Spanish tinge” it truly is a cultural melting pot, and all the while it captures the essence of Ornette’s music perfectly. It is a monumental tribute to the great shaper of things to come, and I believe Miguel Zenón is shaping the future of jazz in his own unique way and thus carrying on the legacy of Ornette Coleman to the fullest.
Image: Demian_Arial_Jordi_Miguel,_photo courtesy of Ariel Bringuez
About Author
