Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify 
Chris Cortez is a busy man. The number of jobs he performs suggests the presence of more people. Guitarist, composer, vocalist, bandleader, arranger, producer, engineer, label head, entrepreneur, and community leader, to name a few. In 2015 he paused his Houston-based Blue Bamboo record label to return to his hometown of Winter Park, Florida to build a performing arts center with his wife. When he directed his focus back to his own personal goals and revived his label, he realized he had never made a live album and decided that was a challenge he needed to face. The resulting disc, “Live at Blue Bamboo,” was recorded at the arts center he built in Winter Park.

    “This music is inspired by the history of the American continent: not only before European colonization, but also by what’s happened since—cause and effect,” says Miguel Zenon of his latest album of all original works, “Musica de Las Americas.” Featuring his longstanding quartet with pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Hans Glawischnig, and drummer Henry Cole, the disc represents a broadening of scope and ambition for Miguel, who is best known for combing cutting-edge modernism with the folkloric and traditional music of Puerto Rico. In realizing such a wide-ranging project, Zenon engaged the illustrious Puerto Rican ensemble Los Pleneros de La Cresta to contribute their unmistakable plena sound to the album.

Also this week, guitarist Calvin Keys is joined by legends Gary Bartz and Steve Turre on his new album, “Blue Keys”;

 Steven Feifke and Bijon Watson unite to bring together the “Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra,” featuring luminaries such Sean Jones, Kurt Elling, Alexa Tarantino, Roxy Coss, John Fedchock, Jennifer Wharton and Ulysses Owens, Jr.;

   and Jazz Funk Soul is back with a new album, “Forecast,” featuring contemporary jazz greats Jeff Lorber, Paul Jackson, Jr. and Everette Harp as co-leaders.