Miguel Zenón Quartet | Athenaeum Jazz at [Scripps Research] the Athenaeum

Jazz returns to the Athenaeum for our annual series of fall concerts, this time relocated from Scripps Research to our Joan & Irwin Jacobs Music Room at 1008 Wall Street in La Jolla. (Known as Jazz at Scripps Research, due to construction, the concerts will be held at the Athenaeum library until later 2023.) Seating will be limited, so early reservations are advised! Please join us for three special evenings featuring Willie Jones III, The Bad Plus, and Miguel Zenón.

The series concludes on Wednesday, October 26, with the Miguel Zenón Quartet. Brilliant Puerto Rican–born alto saxophonist and composer Miguel Zenón returns to San Diego with his stellar longtime quartet featuring Venezuelan pianist Luis Perdomo, Austrian bassist Hans Glawischnig, and Puerto Rican drummer Henry Cole, playing the music from his forthcoming album.

A multiple Grammy Award nominee and Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow, Zenón is one of a select group of musicians who have balanced and blended the poles of innovation and tradition. Widely considered one of the most influential saxophonists of his generation, he has also developed a unique voice as a composer, concentrating on perfecting a fine mix between Latin American folkloric music and jazz.

The Village Voice wrote, “The big to-do about this saxophonist’s nod to Puerto Rican composers is the way his alto sounds, its effervescent lines carrying the kind of warmth that generates more emotional candor than I previously thought possible. Serving such romantic melodies, it also helps reveal another side of Zenón. His group is an apex of relentless interplay.” The Chicago Tribune commented, “The instrumental prowess of Zenón's playing, the vigor of his compositions, and the sensitivity of his band to Puerto Rican song forms point to new possibilities in jazz.”

The concerts will be in person at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. There are no physical tickets for these events. Your name will be on an attendee list at the front door. Doors open at 7 p.m. Seating is first-come; first-served. These events will be presented in compliance with State of California and County of San Diego health regulations as applicable at the time of each concert. Masks are optional. Proof of vaccination or negative test within 48 hours of the event is required. Event capacity is limited to 70% for now.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall Street, San Diego, United States