By Don Berryman
Alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón and pianist Luis Perdomo have just released El Arte Del Bolero Vol.3, their third volume of Latin American music. After listening to it I am sure it will be as loved as their first two installments which were both warmly received. In 2021, Zenón and Perdomo were nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album for their first collaboration album El Arte Del Bolero (which made my list of best releases of 2021). In 2024, the duo won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album for El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2 (which made my list of best releases of 2023).
In December of 2025 I had the pleasure of hearing the duo perform music from this project at Berlin Jazz Club in Minneapolis and it was deeply moving listening to these two masters of their craft pour so much emotion into this music. They played some of the tunes that would later appear on this album which they recorded at Van Gelder Recording Studio in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, twelve days later.
Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. This music spread from Cuba throughout Latin America, becoming the popular music of Mexico, and is still performed widely today. With El Arte Del Bolero Vol.3 they continue the journey of exploration of the expanded Latin American songbook with songs from Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, and Argentina including genres beyond the bolero such as “El día que me quieras” (The day that you love me) an Argentine tango by Carlos Gardel. It is considered one of the most popular songs of the 20th century and one of the best Latin songs of all time by Billboard Magazine. The album still features boleros like “Verdad Amarga” by Consuelo Velázque, a Mexican composer and pianist who is best known for writing the bolero song “Bésame Mucho”, which has become both a popular Latin standard and a jazz standard.
In the El Arte Del Bolero liner notes, Miguel said, “We chose compositions from the Bolero era that we could just play right away, without giving it a second thought: songs 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.”
Zenón and Perdomo reunited in 2023 on El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2 which is more expansive. As Miguel says in the notes: “The Latin-American Songbook is so vast and varied that it naturally lends itself to limitless explorations. We purposely looked beyond the Caribbean (exploring composers from México, Venezuela and Panamá, for example) because we wanted to emphasize the point that these songs deserved to be explored and recognized for what they are, beyond labels, categories and regionalisms. Just beautiful music that is a joy to perform and listen to.”
Alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1976, is one of the most celebrated jazz artists of his generation. Recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship at the age of 31, he’s also a Guggenheim Fellow and was named a 2024 Doris Duke Artist. Zenón has released nineteen albums and has collaborated with some of the great musicians and ensembles of his time including The SFJAZZ Collective, Charlie Haden, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, David Sánchez, Danilo Perez, The Mingus Big Band, and Bobby Hutcherson.
Pianist Luis Perdomo was born in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1971. He has collaborated with Miguel Zenón for over two decades. Perdomo has released nine critically acclaimed recordings as a leader, and has appeared on over 250 recordings as a sideman. A native of Venezuela, Perdomo holds a bachelor’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music and a master’s degree from Queens College. He has performed and recorded with a wide variety of artists, such as Ravi Coltrane, Jerry Bergonzi, David Gilmore, Tom Harrell, Brian Lynch, Ray Barretto, Henry Threadgill, Ralph Irizarry, David Sanchez, The Cookers, George Garzone and The Vanguard Orchestra among others. He is a founding member of the Miguel Zenón Quartet which has released numerous recordings,
El Arte Del Bolero Vol.3
The first album was recorded live at the Jazz Gallery in New York. El Arte Del Bolero Vol.3, was recorded at the famed Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. The sound is perfect. Miguel Zenón and Luis Perdomo will return to the Jazz Gallery for an album release concert on Saturday October 17th.
Track Listing for El Arte Del Bolero Vol.3,
- La Gloria Eres Tú (José Antonio Méndez/Spirit Two Music Crescendo Obo Hadem Music Corp.) – 8:18
- Señora (Manuel Alejandro, Ana Magdalena/ Universal Songs of Polygram International Inc Obo Universal Music Publishing 2017) – 6:10
- El Día que Me Quieras (Alfredo Le Pera, Carlos Gardel/Sadaic Latin Copyrights, Inc.) – 6:34
- Un Amor de la Calle (Orlando Brito/Peer International Corp.) – 6:06
- Sombras (Carlos Brito Benavides/ Sadaic Latin Copyrights Obo Sayce) – 5:39
- Convergencia (Bienvenido Gutiérrez/Peer International Corp.) – 6:04
- Verdad Amarga (Consuelo Velázquez/Peer International Corp.) – 5:40
- De Qué Callada Manera (Pablo Milanés, Nicolás Guillén/Universal Music Mgb Songs Obo Universal Mgb Autores Asociados) – 6:37
This music is currently available on streaming platforms and available for purchase at https://miguelzenon.bandcamp.com/album/el-arte-del-bolero-vol-3
The original Jazz Police article: https://www.jazzpolice.com/archives/20771
