A meditation on the relationship between Dominican folkloric practices and the devastating legacy of Spanish colonization, Blood Burden takes its main inspiration from the Diablo Cojuelo, or limping devil—one of the most popular costumes present during the celebration of Carnival in the Dominican Republic—who represents both the catholic devil and also serves as a symbol for the destructive Spanish colonizers.

Alfredo Colon – Saxophone
Chris Williams – Trumpet
Kengchakaj Kengkarnka – Piano
Tyrone Allen – Bass
Connor Parks – Drums

Bio:
Dominican-American saxophonist and composer Alfredo Colón is a proud New York City native. His distinct sound lives at the crossroads of a wide range of experiences and inspirations, from his upbringing in Upper Manhattan, to his Dominican heritage, to his love of musicians with melodic approaches to improvisation, including Sonny Sharrock, Ornette Coleman, and Pharoah Sanders. In early 2020, Colon was awarded the Jazz Coalition Commission fund Grant. He premiered his piece ‘A Witch Gets Married’ in October of that same year. The piece is a meditation on the way that the ethereal and the mundane are seamlessly woven together in Dominican folklore, and is inspired by some of the mysterious characters who appear in the stories. Colon has performed in esteemed venues such as The Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland Jazz Club, The Bop Stop, The Blue Llama, The Jazz Gallery, and myriad others. He has also participated in festivals including Afropunk, The Outsiders Creative and Improvised Music Festival and The Composers Now festival. Colon has performed alongside distinguished musicians such as Dr Lonnie Smith, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Nels Cline, Lenny White, Gene Lake, and many others.