Cortez sampled a new musical art form – a cappella art - on Tuesday night and found it liked its music with a bit of bite, al dente style. Serving up heaping helpings of music, humor and fun was Vocaldente, a male quintet from Germany who performed for a lively and spirited packed house at the M-CHS auditorium.

Five men in their 20s and 30s sharply dressed in black suits and iconic retro Adidas shoes presented their art form that was not only musical, but visual and physical, too. On a bare stage absolutely void of props, instruments, or even water bottles, Cortez was treated to an array of stylized songs of Lionel Ritchie, Cole Porter, Ray Charles, the Beatles, the BeeGees, the Monkees, ABBA and German folk music. Between numbers, each singer took his turn at funny, friendly and familiar banter with the audience.

Though devoid of instruments, plenty of them made their appearance on stage as the five performers took turns between buzzing, humming, gulping, vibrating, slapping, clapping, thumping combined with beatbox sounds, all accompanied on imaginary trap sets. Supported by the doohs, the dengs, and the reng-ah-deng dengs of the bass, the two baritones, two tenors and the falsetto of the countertenor created an ever-changing vocal landscape. The continually shifting melodic line made it difficult to track just who was singing the melody at any given time.

Reminiscent of performances on the popular television show “Glee”, Vocaldente hit its mark especially with the younger crowd, which whooped and hollered with unbridled enthusiasm for the antics, physical gags, and guileless humor which accompanied their music. Many of these same students had enjoyed a double header of an afternoon show earlier in the day followed by a masterclass. But the art appealed to more than just the young: one concertgoer who identified himself only as “a Pleasant View hipster” said the mash-up of Freddy Mercury and ABBA was his personal favorite.

A rousing version of “Footloose” accompanied by imaginary guitars, trumpets and percussion with not-so-imaginary sounds was an audience favorite. The finale was the ever-popular Conga, which added fancy footwork to the complex harmonies. The full Latin percussion ensemble complete with guiro, bongos, maracas, claves and shakers was enough rhythm and sound to excite even the most staid concert-goers.

At times during the nearly two-hour performance, the comedic element felt a bit canned, overly cute, and lacking a certain spontaneity. For performers on a national tour, the challenge to keep the same show fresh night after night cannot be easy, and yet that is what we expect from professional performers.

As counterpoint to their lighthearted musical fare, a serious musical number drawn from a deeper well other than pop culture would have been appreciated by many of the older concertgoers. Despite these minor shortcomings, however, Vocaldente more than compensated with their energy, enthusiasm, talent and their street appeal.

There is an ongoing conversation within the Cortez community about what constitutes a fine musical performance. For some, classical music is the bar by which all other performances should be measured. It is true, after all, that the reason great music survives over time is because of its genius, its transcendent quality and its link to historical, cultural, and musical traditions. Others prefer music that is more rooted in popular culture.

Tuesday night was not a night for stiff sophistication. It was young. It was high energy. It was entertaining, and it was infectious. Although there were no strong solo voices in this group, the whole ended up being greater than the sum of its parts. Despite some difficulty hearing everything that was being said on stage, Vocaldente captured its audience and did not let go. The encore, John Denver’s “Thank God I’m A County Boy,” accompanied by gut bucket bass, fiddle, banjo and washboard – all played without benefit of instruments – closed the show and left everyone smiling.

After the show, the line was long for those wanting an autograph or a picture snapped with the friendly and attractive young foreigners whom we only know by their first names: Tobek, Tim, Jakob, Johnny and Tobi. You, too, can be their friend by finding them on Facebook, YouTube, or by visiting their website at www.vocaldente.com.

It is good to remember that Montezuma County came out in force for the symphony last month and in equal numbers on Tuesday night for Vocaldente. It is the love of music that keeps us coming back for more. Without doubt, there’s enough room and enough diversity in this valley to welcome the world of all music.

Wendy Watkins is owner and operator of S’more Music, LLC., a private Suzuki piano studio in Cortez. She can be reached at 565-4129.