View source for Cortex (band)

{{Short description|French rock music group}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| background      = group_or_band
| name            = Cortex
| image           = File:Cortex band members June 2024.jpg
| image_size      = 
| image_upright   = 
| landscape       = <!-- yes, if wide image, otherwise leave blank -->
| alt             = 
| caption         = Cortex in 2024. Virginie Hombel, Loïc Soulat, Alain Mion, Victor Dubois, and Mohamed Ouaraz. Photo by: Edija Redžić Rouseau
| alias           = 
| origin          = 
| genre           = [[French rock]], [[Jazz-funk]], [[Psychedelic rock]]
| years_active    = {{Start date|1974}}–{{End date|1981}}, {{Start date|2009}}–present
| label           = Trad Vibe Records
| spinoffs        = 
| spinoff_of      = 
| current_members = [[Alain Mion]], Virginie Hombel (vocals), Loïc Soulat (keyboard and alto sax), Mohamed Ouaraz (bass), and Victor Dubois (drums)
| past_members    =  Alain Gandolfi, Mireille Dalbray, Alain Labib, Jeff Huttner, Jean Grevet, Adeline de Lépinay
| website         = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} or {{Official URL}} -->
| module          = 
| module2         = 
| module3         = 
}}

[[File:Cortex-PORTRAIT.jpg|thumb|Cortex in 2023 from left to right: Alain Mion, Hidehiko Kan, Adeline de Lepinay, Mohamed Ouaraz. Photo by: Edija Redžić Rouseau]]

'''Cortex''' is a [[jazz funk]] band formed in 1974. Cortex is known for [[Polyrhythm|polyrhythmic]] instrumentals and [[funk]],  [[bossa nova]], [[samba-jazz]], and [[psychedelic rock]] [[Groove (music)|grooves]], mixed with atmospheric vocals, inspired by 1970s American funk and jazz. Cortex broke up in 1981, but was reformed by band leader [[Alain Mion]] in 2009, with a rotating group of members. 

In total Cortex has 6 albums and 7 singles. [[Hip hop]] [[sampling (music)|samples]] of Cortex songs in tracks from artists including [[MF DOOM]] and [[Madlib]], [[Tyler the Creator]], [[Flying Lotus]], [[Lupe Fiasco]], have brought newfound interest in the band since the early 2000s.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lejarde |first1=Arielle Lana |title=How Cortex’s ‘Troupeau Bleu’ Became Hip-Hop’s Favorite French Jazz Album |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/cortex-troupeau-bleu-tyler-creator-madlib-1234584701/ |publisher=Rolling Stone |date=October 11, 2022}}</ref>

Cortex originally included [[Alain Mion]] (pianist, singer, composer, arranger, leader), Alain Gandolfi (drummer, percussion, vocals), Mireille Dalbray (singer), Alain Labib (alto saxophone), and Jeff Huttner, quickly replaced by Jean Grevet (bass). The band members found each other when Alain Mion responded to a poster on a bulletin board at the Centre Américain in Paris, in which a guitarist and bassist stated that they were looking for musicians to play with.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ritchie |first1=Matthew |title=A Conversation With Alain Mion of French Jazz-Fusion Legends Cortex |url=https://www.passionweiss.com/2022/10/17/cortex-interview-alain-mion/ |access-date=5 August 2023 |publisher=Passion of the Weiss |date=17 October 2022 |archive-date=7 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230107003452/https://www.passionweiss.com/2022/10/17/cortex-interview-alain-mion/ |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Musique. “Troupeau bleu”, l’album de jazz français que les rappeurs américains préfèrent |url=https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/musique-troupeau-bleu-l-album-de-jazz-francais-que-les-rappeurs-americains-preferent |access-date=5 August 2023 |publisher=Courrier International |date=13 December 2022}}</ref>

Cortex reunited as Alain Mion & The New Cortex in 2009 and 2010, with the singer Adeline de Lépinay taking the role of Mireille Dalbray on vocals and Hidehiko Kan on drums for performances in Europe at [[New Morning (club)|New Morning]], Monaco’s Note Bleue, [[The Jazz Cafe]], and [[Gilles Peterson]]’s [[Worldwide Winners]] Festival. In 2022, Cortex toured the U.S., performing at [[Music Hall of Williamsburg|The Music Hall of Williamsburg]] in [[NYC]], LODGE Room in [[Los Angeles]], and the [[Desert Daze]] festival at the [[Lake Perris State Recreation Area]] in [[Riverside County]], California.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cortex Lights Up the Jazz Scene |url=https://relish.blog.fordham.edu/cortex-lights-up-the-jazz-scene/ |access-date=7 August 2023 |publisher=Relish |date=6 December 2022}}</ref>

In June 2024, Cortex began a North America summer tour with band members Virginie Hombel (vocals), Loïc Soulat (keyboard and alto sax), Mohamed Ouaraz (bass), and Victor Dubois (drums), entitled "Jazz is Dead", with shows at [[Damrosch Park]] at [[Lincoln Center]] in [[New York, NY]], [[Howard Theatre]] in D.C., [[Revolution Hall]] in Portland, OR, and the [[Montreal International Jazz Festival]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Le Jazz Est Mort |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624100348/https://www.lincolncenter.org/series/summer-for-the-city/le-jazz-est-mort |website=Lincoln Center - Summer for the City |access-date=29 June 2024}}</ref>

== ''Troupeau Bleu'' ==
Cortex's album ''[[:fr:Troupeau Bleu|Troupeau Bleu]]'' was recorded in 2 days, July 15-16, 1975 at Studio Damiens, Boulogne-Billancourt (France).<ref>{{cite web |title=Troupeau Bleu |url=http://tradvibe.com/ |publisher=Trad Vibe |access-date=1 August 2023}}</ref> French singer Mireille Dalbray featured on almost all the tracks.

==Discography==
* ''[[:fr:Troupeau Bleu|Troupeau Bleu]]''  (Disques Espérance, Trad Vibe, 1975)
* ''Les Oiseaux Morts / Back to Life'' (Disques Espérance, Trad Vibe, 1976)
* ''Vol. 2'' (Sonodisc, Trad Vibe, 1977)
* ''Mary & Jeff'' (Sonodisc, Trad Vibe, 1977)
* ''Pourquoi'' (Crypto/RCA, Trad Vibe, 1978)
* ''Inédit '79'' (Underdog, 2006)

==Songs used in films==
* ''I Heard A Sigh'', theme music for the film ''Drone Games'' (White Lion Films, France) 
* ''I Heard A Sigh'', music from the film ''Doppelganger'' (Next Film - TVN S A, Poland) 
* ''Chanson d'un Jour d'Hiver'', music from the film ''Little Trumpet'' (Little Trumpet Productions, USA)
* ''L’Enfant Samba'', music for the series ''Good Girls'', (Universal TV, NBC, Netflix, USA)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|jazz}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20200927035415/http://www.alainmion.com/documents/PK%20AM+Cortex.pdf Cortex: The legendary jazz funk band of Alain Mion]
* [https://www.whosampled.com/Cortex/ Cortex] at [[WhoSampled]]

[[Category:French musical groups]]
[[Category:French rock music groups]]