Miguel Zenón

A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Miguel Zenón dug Coltrane in high school but didn't get serious about a career in jazz until attending the Berklee School of Music. While at Berklee, he hooked up with drummer Bob Moses, who invited him to play with the Either/Orchestra, giving the saxophonist his first professional experience. Awards and grants lead to Zenón pursuing and earning a Masters in Saxophone Performance in 2001 from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. He played live and in the studio as a sideman to Charlie Haden, the David Murray Big Band, Ray Barretto, and David Sanchez, and stepped out on his own with Looking Forward in 2002. The debut album fused jazz, Latin, and classical influences, and earned positive reviews at home and abroad. In 2003, he received a warm welcome on his first European tour, and got right back to recording when he returned home. His sophomore effort, Ceremonial — produced by Branford Marsalis and released on his Marsalis Music label — hit the shelves in early 2004.