Cortez Band

Nathan Muus
with the Cortez Band

As a session composer/musician/singer, Nathan has worked with the Cortez Band. You can sample some of their tracks here.

"Que Sigue La Gente" (La Musica Vive)...."The music lives so that the People continue"....here is the majestic entrance into Latin Salsa by the Cortez Band. Original composition by Howard LaBelle (bass, vocals), Bryan Rossi (keys, charts), Danny Cortez (drums, vocals) and Nathan Muus (tenor/soprano sax, piccolo, vocals)....recorded at Blackberry Way Studios, Minneapolis, Minnesota...Steve Fjelstad, recording engineer.. Also featuring several other musicians including David Smith (guitar), Ruben Adon (percussion), the honorable Eddie Berger (baritone sax), Gary Edelberg and Steve Traxler (trumpets)....

Acknowledgement to Jose Cortez Sr. and Jose Cortez Jr. for carrying on the Cortez Orchestra, begun in Texas many years ago. Nathan learned much about stage presence, performing, and music from their leadership.

Cortez Band is assembling materials to produce a forthcoming CD.

"Cortez" band was descended from the "Cortez New Generation" band which played traditional "Tex-Mex", R n' B, Rock, other Latin styles and you name it...At one point there were three generations of Cortez family playing. This band was the leading Latino band in the area for a time, and played all over Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Chicago and North Dakota. Also, this versatile band could become a Mariachi outfit, Wedding band, Salsa band.... the name Cortez was used being that the key players had all come up thru this band. Danny "Cisco Kid" Cortez is a very fine drummer by the way....

"Newspaper Astrology" (N. Muus)- Another Nathan Muus original with the Cortez Band featuring Nathan (sax, flute, vocals), Howard LaBelle (bass, vocals), Danny Cortez (drums) and Bryan Rossi (keys). (Joe Demko of Willie Murphy on guitar). This one was featured on a "Best of the Twin Cities Rock Bands" album in the 80's, which also included songs by Yanni's rock band "Chameleon", Peter Himmelman, and Prince's guitarist, Dez Dickerson. Certainly, this song is a nod to the Prince style and phenomena of the region and the time.

"Apasionado"(N. Muus)- The also hit flip side, in "Spanglish" (Spanish /English) by the Cortez Band; same musicians, with Connie Madrid on vocals; another of Nathan's successful compositions.