Featured Artist: Chris Cortez
CD Title: Mum Is The Word
Year: 2004
Record Label: Blue Bamboo Music
Style: Contemporary Jazz
Musicians: Chris Cortez (acoustic guitar), Sam Bruton (piano), Larry Panella (tenor sax, alto sax, flute), Humphrey Davis Jr. (tenor sax, vocals), John Brinson (organ), John Reid (fluegel horn), Billy Bargetzi (trombone), Edwin Livingston (bass), James Singleton (bass), John Wooton (percussion), Jeff Mills (drums).
Review: More often than not, when a musician tries to explore many different elements on a single disc – jazz, blues, vocals, instrumentals, varying personnel, etc. – the result is an album that is uneven and lacking any real cohesiveness. However, on “Mum Is The Word,” guitarist Chris Cortez attempts to do exactly that and succeeds, in spades, on every level.
Altogether, there are 11 musicians that make appearances on this album, with songs that run the gamut from sambas to blues to bebop and yet it consistently has a warm, uniformly ‘small group’ feel about it. The first thing I have to say about Chris Cortez is that he is a phenomenal guitar player – whether he’s playing straight-ahead jazz, Latin or gut bucket blues, he does it at an extremely high level and at the same time in a manner that makes it sound totally relaxed and natural. He has a fantastic feel and sense of rhythm, with a gorgeous tone. Many times, when a player switches styles on an album like this, it is very apparent which style they are most comfortable with, but Cortez seems equally at home in all settings.
I often cringe at the thought of a great jazz instrumentalist actually singing on an album. So many recordings (and concerts) have, to my ears, been marred by someone thinking that just because they are a great sax or guitar player that they must surely be a great vocalist as well. Many of them are sadly mistaken. But Cortez again proves to be the exception to the rule! He is as naturally gifted a singer as he is as a guitarist, with a beautiful voice that is especially suited for the blues (as he proves here with his rendition of “Everyday I Have The Blues”.)
As if all these talents weren’t enough, Cortez proves to also be a masterful songwriter and arranger, as well as a great producer and engineer. This album features five of his originals (along with seven standards) and was completely produced and engineered by Cortez. It’s amazing that one person can wear so many hats and wear them all so well.
As a lyricist, Cortez favors humor-driven songs, such as “My Way Is Better,” a song about what he calls ‘control freaks’, “Bad Attitude,” which was inspired by a band he once played in “that had no redeemable qualities as far as professionalism goes,” and “Rhythm Method Blues,” about a man whose Catholic-raised wife never says “no” and who, with seven kids, is struggling with the financial burden of a few too many ‘bundles from heaven’!
For an example of his great arranging skills, take a listen to his uptempo instrumental samba version of “Georgia On My Mind” or the poignant solo intro that the piano plays on “Trouble With Larry” before the song kicks into a hip Latin groove with the frontline harmonizing the melody together. Another thing that really impressed me about Cortez’ guitar playing is how well he plays together with a pianist. Many guitar and piano players have trouble not stepping on each other’s toes, harmonically speaking, but here they mesh beautifully.
Speaking of the band, they are a group of outstanding individual musicians that have mastered the art of playing as a unit. Joining Cortez (who plays all acoustic guitar on this album) are Sam Bruton on piano, Larry Panella on tenor sax, alto sax, and flute, Humphrey Davis Jr. on tenor sax and vocals, John Brinson on organ, John Reid on fluegel horn, Billy Bargetzi on trombone, Edwin Livingston and James Singleton on bass, John Wooton on percussion and Jeff Mills on drums. You can tell that Cortez has great confidence in this band, and he generously gives them plenty of room to shine, which they each do by way of dazzling solos.
In his press release Cortez described this album as “…an attempt to bring more general listeners to jazz, to open minds to the fact that there are all types of music out there, and, most of all, to make sure they are entertained.” He has delivered, and then some! Bravo!
Tracks: My Way Is Better, Everyday I Have The Blues, Georgia On My Mind, Bad Attitude, Sweet Georgia Brown, Honeysuckle Rose, Manha de Carnival, Mum Is The Word, Trouble With Larry, Rhythm Method Blues, Lazy River, Avalon