International jazz fest finale lights up CCP stage

The Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Theater put on a different air during the final night of its unprecedented international jazz gig last month. The arts venue became an amazingly sparkling lounge, minus the drinks and food that are perpetually prohibited to prevent pest infestation in the venerable hall. The audience, most of them in casual get-up with just a handful in formal attire, broke protocol by shouting bravos and engaging in extended applause even in the middle of a number – actions that would normally be greeted with stern stares and the conferment of social outcast status during classical performances at the CCP Main Theater. For the closing ceremony of “The Story of Jazz: The CCP International Jazz Festival," the Main Theater burned with spontaneous creativity, unfettered passion, and unbridled energy even as gusty winds, intermittent rains, and roaring thunder battered the real world outside. That night, the stormy weather ended at the entrance of the Main Theater, where the sun blazed and cast a spell on the performers and the audience alike.

The Jazz Finale, which lasted more than three hours, was one of the finest musical performances staged at the CCP this year. The 21-member UP Jazz Ensemble kicked off the festivities with their crowd-pleasing repertoire of mambo and Latin jazz numbers. One of the pieces was “Caravan," first performed by Duke Ellington in 1937 and a familiar tune for younger fans as it was featured in the 2009 videogame “The Saboteur" and George Clooney’s “Ocean's 13" film. Prof. Rayben Maigue’s daughter Lara, who sang two songs, exuberantly shouted, “That’s my father!" as she pointed to the direction of the conductor before exiting the stage. “Caravan" was also among the excellent numbers rendered by percussionist and pianist royal hartigan and his group, the Blood Drum Spirit composed of bassist Wes Brown, saxophonist David Bindman, and pianist Art Hirahara. The UP Jazz Ensemble’s interpretation of Caravan was meant for easy listening, while the version of hartigan and the Blood Drum Spirit painted hues of exotic landscapes in Latin America or the Middle East. Conductor and saxophonist Mel Villena was matchless as he led the Asosasyon ng Musikong Pilipino (AMP) Big Band in a blistering succession of jazz numbers such as “Bluer than Blue," “Tribute," and “Anak." It was pure delight watching Villena dancing animatedly and gesticulating, obviously enjoying himself as he led the band during their suite and even joining in with his saxophone in several pieces. Vocalist Skarlet, in a flaming red gown and backed up by the AMP, was a wonderful reincarnation of the young Sylvia La Torre as she sang “Kalesa" by Levi Celerio and Juan Silos. Another star inside the CCP Main Theater constellation that evening was Tokyo-based Charito who genuinely knocked out the audience with her recently cut album in Paris, together with the great Michel Legrand, of songs by the late Michel Jackson. The audience was the first to hear samples of cuts from the soon-to-be-released album called “From Michel to Michael" such as “Why, Why, Why." In “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" and “Route 66," Charito showed her wide and powerful vocal range that has captivated the likes of jazz singer Nancy Wilson. The last gift that these world-class troupers gave the audience was the encore by the tandem of Celerio-Silos, the immortal “Waray Waray" as belted out by Charito and Skarlet with the AMP as back-up band. Behind the scenes Aside from the world-class performers, credits must be accorded to the behind-the-scenes crew and staff who made everything magically fall into their places and cues during the night. There were no hints that minutes before the show started, a diligent repairman from a highly respected piano company was meticulously attempting to “cure" the terminal disorders of the ailing grand piano, which was majestically placed at the center of the stage. “It is time for the CCP to buy a new grand piano. This is 42 years old. My company sends me regularly to look after this piano, especially before a performance that needs the service of this old piano. I don’t know how long she will last," the deeply concerned man in his 60s said, as he struck the keyboard to check on the bass and treble strings. While the repairman was working on the piano, the sounds team on the left side of the stage was frantically fixing the intractable problem of uneven distribution of sound in the cavernous Main Theater. Elsewhere inside the CCP building, orderlies were checking on the water level of the rows and rows of red and green plastic pails that littered the halls and passageways to catch the rainwater seeping through the countless cracks of the aging structure. Two Septembers ago, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra was playing Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No. 2" with Maestro Oscar C. Yatco conducting when rainwater gushed through a defective pipe that drained to the Main Theater stage while a typhoon was raging outside. The distracting sound was heard throughout the entire length of the stately piece of music. Fortunately, any potential inundation was averted during the final gig of the international festival. Despite the technical problems, the tempestuous weather, the budgetary woes of the jazz fest on top of the unwarranted art exhibition controversy, the CCP International Jazz Festival was a thunderous success. As the event drew to a close shortly before midnight, the audience was hesitant to leave the hall. The show, however, had to end for the foreign performers who had to be at the airport by 6 a.m. to catch their flights out of Manila. – YA, GMA News All photos by KIKO CABUENA