Ground-Breaking Saxophonist Miguel Zénon Comes To Hammer Theatre In San Jose, April 28

Black Cab Jazz series, presented by Hammer Theatre Center and San José State University, concludes with multi-Grammy-nominated saxophonist/composer Miguel Zénon.

For this special series curated by San Jose Jazz, Zénon will perform live on stage 7:00pm, Thursday, April 28 at the Hammer Theatre's intimate Hammer4 which offers cabaret seating at 4-top tables and a rare chance to see today's hottest artists up close) Both a Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow, Zénon is considered one of the most groundbreaking and influential saxophonists and composers of his generation.

Known for his unique blend of innovation and tradition, Zénon has developed a singular voice, concentrating his efforts on perfecting a fine mix between Latin music and jazz. In 2014, Zénon topped both the Jazz Artist of the Year and Alto Saxophonist of the Year categories on the JazzTimes Critics Poll. He was also selected as the Alto Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalist Association in 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2020 (when he was also recognized as Arranger of the Year).

Miguel Zénon will perform 7:00pm, Thursday, April 28, 2022 at the Hammer4, 101 Paseo De San Antonio, San Jose. For tickets ($25-$35 in-person) or more information, the public may visit hammertheatre.com or call (408) 924-8501. Vaccination requirements are subject to change according to local city, state, and county mandates. Please visit Hammer Theatre's COVID FAQ page for the most up-to-date information concerning COVID protocols: https://hammertheatre.com/faq/.

Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Miguel Zénon has built a distinguished career, releasing fourteen albums. As a composer, he has been commissioned by SFJAZZ, New York State Council for the Arts (NYSCA), Chamber Music America, NYO Jazz, the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, Hyde Park Jazz Festival, the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), JazzReach, PEAK Performances, and PRISM Quartet, among others. In 2003, Zénon was chosen by the Kennedy Center to teach and perform in West Africa as part of its Jazz Ambassador program. Since then, he has given hundreds of lectures and master classes, and has taught at institutions around the world - from the Banff Centre to Berklee College of Music, Siena Jazz, Universidad Veracruzana, Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Musik Akademie Basel, Conservatoire de Paris, University of Manitoba, and Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico, among others. In 2011, Zénon founded Carvana Cultural to present free-of-charge jazz concerts in rural areas of Puerto Rico, offering these communities a chance to listen to jazz of the highest caliber while giving young Puerto Rican musicians an opportunity to get actively involved. Since 2005 he has also organized "Jazz Jam Sessions" in the area of San Juan, Puerto Rico, creating a platform for younger jazz musicians to grow and interact with one another.

Black Cab Jazz is a collaboration between San Jose Jazz, San José State University, and the Hammer Theatre, bringing audiences an intimate cabaret experience featuring some of the best names in modern jazz.

Founded in 1986, San Jose Jazz is a public benefit organization celebrating jazz as a dynamic, evolving art form and is producer of the annual San Jose Jazz Summer Fest and Winter Fest. San Jose Jazz innovates trend-setting initiatives to foster artistic ingenuity and preserve the jazz tradition as a forward-thinking movement. Through diverse music and educational programming, San Jose Jazz offers singular content and events by investing in the SF Bay Area ecosystem of exceptional talent for local and national audiences to enjoy.

Owned by the City of San Jose and operated by San Jose State University, the Hammer Theatre Center is a state-of-the-art performance venue located in the heart of downtown San Jose at 101 Paseo De San Antonio, between 2nd and 3rd Streets. The theatre has presented an array of offerings including outstanding professional productions, community-based works, SJSU shows, and concerts, as well as dance, music, talks, film screenings-even live aerial performances with dancers suspended outside, scaling the sides of the iconic blue building. From jazz performances to mariachi extravaganzas, National Geographic Live! speaker series to National Theatre Live film screenings, Cinequest film festival presentations, ballet and modern dance shows, kid-friendly performances, live art and more, the Hammer's mission is to serve the community through artistic and educational programming that express the unique characteristics and diverse cultures of Silicon Valley.

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