The title of the 1st song that Cortes ever wrote was "Mass Confusion". Clearly, it was in response to his feelings of being at the Juilliard School of Music. His piano riffs on Mozart were unappreciated, & he left after 1 semester. "They don't get my vision", he said. He was 13.
Before he knew it, he was in California supporting himself doing T.V. commercials & voice-overs. One night, while singing at a club, he met fellow singers Gene Reed, Brian Lane Green, & Lindy Robbins. They clicked immediately & formed a pop/jazz vocal group, "The Tonics". They went to New York for what was meant to be a 6 week visit. It lasted 6 years. Their intricate harmonies & arrangements, combined with their sold-out shows, won them many awards, & led them to Carnegie Hall where they sang in a tribute to composer Stephen Sondheim which was broadcast on PBS. While the groups diverse musical tastes eventually led to their disbandment, Cortes formed another vocal group, the "Cortes Alexander Trio". They toured the U.S & abroad, & raves followed the guys from the Kremlin in Moscow, to the Sporting Club in Monaco, to the Acropolis in Greece, & along the way, they made guest appearances with several symphony orchestras. They shared the stage with such diverse artists as Sheryl Crow, Elton John, Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Melissa Etheridge, & Luciano Pavarotti. With the encouragement from past successes, Cortes was forced to face the inevitable. "I realized that though I loved singing with other people, I was leaning on my band-mates to keep from going at it alone." And so, after months of writing new material, & finding a genius producer in McKay Garner, "Swell" was born.
Cortes' soon to be released solo debut brings a collection of songs that range in influence from Luther Vandross, to Keith Urban, to Sinatra, to Prince, to Foo Fighters. "I can't imagine not writing music & singing. It's like breathing to me, & along the way, if I can tell a good story or sing a track that makes people want to move, it's all I can ask. If its fiction or non-fiction, R & B, jazz or country, or pop, I say, if it feels good & sounds good, do it". So far, listeners are agreeing with this genre jumping artist. It's been quite a ride since Juilliard, & with "Swell", his "vision" is finally clear.
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