Jazz in the 3rd World

Out of the muck, the flower. Just as North American jazz first found root among whorehouses and seedy dives, the flower of Pinoy jazz now struggles to bloom from the muck, the excrement of an exorbitant cost of living, painfully hilarious politics and slow, murderous traffic. The ones who make the most money out of music are those who don't make music. Still, the band plays on. Still, musikos (musicians) struggle to offer beauty to a world which, sadly, doesn't really care. And who can blame the world for not really caring? What does music matter when the belly is empty and the bills unpaid? Why does the musiko do it? True musikos do it because they must. Flowers must bloom from the muck. Flowers must bloom simply because they must. The flower of Pinoy jazz blooms yearly with the Philippine International Jazz Festival. This year's PI Jazz Fest is perhaps the most ambitious affair yet, an all-you-can eat buffet of many of the finest names in Pinoy Jazz and a smattering of marquee names like Fourplay, Hubert Laws and Thelonious Monk awardee Jon Irabagon. At Glorietta 4 last February 11, we were gifted with the haunting song of flowers in full-bloom.

The respective sets of Noel Cabangon & company and the AMP (Asosasyon ng Musikong Pilipino) Big Band led by Mel Villena changed the very air of Makati's center of commerce. Noel Cabangon gifted us with singularly beautiful renditions of classic Pinoy songs, Kay Ganda Ng Ating Musika and Kanlungan. Noteworthy too were Mr. Cabangon's own minor-blues variant, Hari Ng Kalye, and his tongue-in-cheek bossa nova admission of love, Tinamaan. Kudos to Mr. Cabangon's crack team of musikos: bassist Simon Tan, drummer Rey Vinoya, guitarist Edwin "Kwachi" Vergara & keyboardist Ria Villena Osorio. The second act was a perhaps overly subtle set of obscure songs. Singer Rosanna Gaerlan was in fine form, as was her husband, bassist Johnny Gaerlan. But their piano trio (bassist Johnny Gaerlan, pianist Mark Atkinson & drummer Richie Quirino) didn't quite gel. Perhaps the band's members were bothered by a less than ideal monitor mix onstage. Such is life in the 3rd world. Perhaps, too, their music would best have been showcased in a more intimate venue. Malls in the heart of Makati aren't designed with intimate music in mind. The devil's in the details. Par for the course in all worlds, 3rd or otherwise. While the PI Jazz Festival's stated intent to uplift the jazz scene sounds wonderful, room for logistical improvement is vast. Mel Villena's AMP Big Band music was equally vast, if not more so. Noteworthy to our ears were their Theme From The Flintsones (an uptempo romp on the jazz template called rhythm changes), and a goosebump-filled ride on the Star Wars theme (lent extra lift by a saxophone solo courtesy of avatar Tots Tolentino). Multi-hyphenate maestro Mel Villena cut a dashing figure onstage, an endearing jazz envoy to the world of Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and The Fox Network as he jitterbugged up and down the stage and essayed an impromptu flamenco jig to the strains of a Hispanic re-imagining of Freddie Aguilar's classic, Anak. Meanwhile guitarist Noel Santiago's fingers sprinted up and down a duende-empowered fretboard. Punk jazz diva Skarlet (yes, she of Pu3ska fame) was a vision in batik and coppery kayumanggi as she sang a few Sylvia la Torre-like numbers. Skarlet was in fine, full-bodied voice. She put the aray in their big band rendition of "Waray Waray". Others may be younger, fresher. But if sheer soul-force be the crux, few are her equal and no one her superior. On Saturday, February 12, we hied off to Alabang Town Center, a fragrant oasis of privilege where the disparity between the haves and the have-nots is painfully evident. Outside the Ayala Land enclave, barefoot beggars are barred from plying their trade. A large sign posted at a major street intersection announces in the Tagalog vernacular that both alms-asking and alms-giving are equally illegal. Within the enclave one wonders how anyone could think that the Philippines is a poor country. Such is the song of the 3rd world. Three bands sang this song onstage that night: All For Patricia, Absolute Zero and Sino Sikat. All three bands have beautiful female lead singers; all three bands boast larger-than-life guitarists; all three have fine young drummers; all three have transparently virtuosic bassists. All For Patricia's beautiful singer is, surprisingly, Patricia. Patricia Rosal. She's eye candy, to be sure, but sonically satisying too. The band's tunes are perhaps neither particularly substantial nor ground-breaking (yet) but they're sweet & non-threatening, and Patricia has a voice to keep an ear out for. All For Patricia guitarist JR Oca cuts an authoritative figure onstage. He's a fine, solid player. Their bassist is Berns Cuevas. He's someone who makes us sit up and pay attention. Their drummer is Popo Pineda and their keyboardist, Arvin Cuevas. They get the job done. Absolute Zero's beautiful singer is Mia Tengco, she of the blonde guitar. This is a star whose flame, if kindled with care, will rise to transcendent heights. Their guitarist is Johnny Alegre of the immortal bonnet and classy chord changes. Absolute Zero's bassist is Gareth Somers, a dashing figure of fine bassmanship and matinee idol good looks. Their drummer is Paolo Manuel, an endearingly boyish teddy bear who behind the drum set is a golden reliever of intricate rhythmic patterns. They have remarkable tunes, reminiscent of Joni Mitchell's Hejira, Court & Spark and Shadows & Light era. To hear their tunes is to wax nostalgic over the scent of patchouli and long for drives to the San Francisco Bay Area's wine country. Sino Sikat took the stage last. They may not always be punctual but their star is definitely on the rise. Their tunes are transcendent, and singer Kat Agarrado is truly beautiful. She's beautiful in face, form & function. If the soul-force of Janis Joplin & the vocal chops of pre-skin baring Mariah Carey were poured into an incarnate form of, say, Anne Hathaway's winsome beauty, that would be Kat Agarrado. Guest (session) guitarist Kakoy Legaspi is a blossoming master. His every note is a precious gem and his rhythms dance with driving laidback propulsion. If guitarists be Jedi, Kakoy is more than the match of any Sith Lord in galaxies both far and near. Bassist Noel Asistores is also a guy to watch out for. His ensemble sense is impeccable, his chops undeniable and his rhythmic concept unassailable. To make music with Noel is to be in the company of a true bassist: one who brings out the best in his fellow musikos. Keyboardist Wowee Posadas, while not yet a full-time member of Sino Sikat, adds vibrant color to any ensemble he plays with. Any band he plays with (the now defunct Bamboo being a recent example) sounds at least three times better with his presence. Drummer Reli de Vera is an unerring archer and an unflinching stargazer. His funk is funkier than the stench of the Pasig River, his drive is groovier than PNoy's Porsche and his chops are both as sharp as any samurai's katana and as sure as the Rock of Gibratar. His musical concept is elastic, organic, fantastic... quite simply, walastik. Such is the state of song in the 3rd world. One crisis faced by attempts at objective reportage is the sheer embarrassment of riches made available by this year's PI Jazz Festival. This report covers earwitness accounts of only three nights of a month-long musical cornucopia. Tonight, Valentine's Eve of 2011, we entered another enclave of beautiful people, soothing greenery and expensive donuts. The siren song of Krispy Kreme & Sitti Navarro... ahhh, too sweet to ignore. To drink Cerveza Negra with friends on Valentine's Eve while witnessing a bossa maiden bloom into a woman worth listening to is a good way to spend an evening. The three other acts -- honorary Filipino, Japanese native Aisaku Yokogawa of the shiny ties and Tagalized (Ted Ito hit song) "Saigo No Iiwake" and trilingual "Girl From Ipanema"; sultry chanteuse Monet Ganir of the unassailable musicianship and lovely outfits; and pop jazz stalwarts Working Stiff -- were perhaps the evening's cake. But Sitti was the icing that drew the crowd. That the betty bossa boop of Cafe Bossa has grown into a womanly voice capable of swoops beyond corporate ken is noteworthy. Has her voice caught up to her face? Perhaps so, perhaps not. But the voice now merits attention. Noteworthy among the evening's highlights were: the Roy Hargrove tune Crazy Race as sung by Monet Ganir, and the perennial favorite Chick Corea tune, Spain, as sung by Working Stiff singer Igor Labrador. Noteworthy too were Working Stiff guitarist Kedy Sanchez's blue streaks on the Rippingtons tune, "Welcome To the S.t James Club". In a better world, merit would be won on skill alone. Sadly, such is not the case. Pinoys don't know what they like, they like what they know. And if all we know is what we hear on FM radio, the game is heavily weighted against skillful singers (and instrumentalists) no matter how sultry. Such is the state of song in the 3rd world. But hope springs eternal. If both the Philippines and Egypt can achieve relatively bloodless regime change, perhaps the song can yet modulate into a sweeter key. If a master musician like Edgar "Koyang" Avenir and his confreres Sandra Lim-Viray, Jun Viray and Zenaida Celdran keep doing what they can to help the jazz community grow, mayhap 3rd world logistics will one day vibrate at the brilliant level of Pinoy musicianship. This Valentine's Eve's magical moments: Working Stiff saxophonist Lorry Zamora's take on Pat Metheny's "Always & Forever" and Sitti Navarro's "Summertime". The former was sublime because it spoke of a lifetime spent in pursuit of mastery; the master knew what to leave unsaid. The latter glowed with the glimmer of mastery first being discovered. This is jazz in the 3rd world. – GMA News Photos by Nick Puzon