Chris Cortez, "Awakenings," Blue Bamboo Music BBM008, 2007

Light as a feather, "Awakenings" skims along like a frisbee buoyed by an ocean breeze. Reminiscent of Chick Corea's jazz/fusion groups of the mid-'70s, this 10-track collection features Chris Cortez's flying-fingered guitar work as well as nine of his compositions. But in true fusion fashion, it's an ensemble CD, with each band member afforded ample time to shop his chops. After Cortez, Devin Collins' shows a nice touch on keys, and percussonist Jeff Mills is a virtual rhythm machine, especially on the opening track, "Arlington Park." Kudos as well to contributors Glen Ackerman on bass (most notably on "Territorial Imperative") and Ryan Ogrodowicz on drums. These gents sound as if they have been playing together for years, and they have. High production values, although saxophones veer too much front and center in what is generally a deft mix. In a departure from his previous collections, Cortez eschews all vocals, resulting in completely different feel from, say, the more traditional takes on his previous collecton, "Mum is the Word." A Latin feel permeates the mood, especially with "The Rose of Shalimar" and "Palmettos." All in all, this is a pleasant aggressive/acoustic set from musicians at the top of their craft. They lose themselves in the composition without losing their focus on their individual role in each piece. Quietly dazzling.
© Fred Kraus