by Jonathan WidranIn light of his extensive and diverse jazz fusion resume (Weather Report, Dizzy, Miles), it would be easy to criticize multi-instrumentalist Alphonse Mouzon's The Survivor as an unsophisticated turn by an artist who has dug deeper in the past. But why not celebrate the collection for what it is--an intensely joyous, tightly played, melodic, energetic blend of pop jazz colors, one which will continue to expose this master to a new audience. Though he offers some lush keyboard musings, Mouzon functions less as a player here than as producer, drawing magnificent lead performances from the genre's elite--Lee Ritenour, Richard Elliot, George Howard, Brandon Fields, Kirk Whalum, Ernie Watts, and so on. Russ Freeman's breezy acoustic guitar is reminiscent of the best Rippingtons work. The only drawback is that a drummer of Mouzon's magnitude would choose to work with drum machines.