Full circle: AMP takes ‘horny,’ big band sound back to Quezon City
The AMP Band with music director Mel Villena (first row, fifth from left)
There was a time in the not-so-distant past when people from Makati and further down south would drive to Quezon City to catch the band called AMP play vibrant versions of music as old as one’s grandparents and new enough for one’s kids to dance to.
What made the music stand out was its “big band” arrangements of a wide array of international and local hits from the jazz age of the 1920s and ’30s to ’60s and ’70s classics and cult favorites, to contemporary pop.
AMP — acronym for Asosasyon ng Musikong Pilipino — is literally a big band composed of 18 members who are both seasoned and sought-after live session and recording artists: Michael Guevarra (tenor sax 1/flute/clarinet), Nicole Reluya (alto sax 2/clarinet/flute), Ronaldo Tomas (tenor sax 1/flute), Joey de Guzman (tenor sax 2/clarinet), Roxy Modesto (baritone sax/bass clarinet), ), Lester Sorilla (trumpet 2), Archi Constantino (trumpet 3), EJ Celestial (trumpet 1), Glenn Lucero (trumpet 4), Ronnie Marqueses (trombone 1), Oscar Hernandez (trombone 2), Vanessa Celestial (trombone 3), Chok Dela Cruz (bass trombone), Joey Quirino (piano), Noel Santiago (guitar), Simon Tan (bass), Jun Austria Jr. (drums), and Jojo Luz (percussion), with Gail Blanco-Viduya on vocals.
The band’s music director and conductor, who doubles up on woodwinds and also acts as its manager, is the esteemed industry stalwart Mel Villena.
From playing at a house-turned-party place called Balete@Kamias in Quezon City, where Louie Ysmael and other unexpected guests would drop in, AMP became the attraction at diplomatic and state functions in Malacañang, as well as a regular act at the highly regarded club 19 East on Sucat Road.
In an exclusive Q&A with inquirer.net, Villena recalls AMP’s early days and why playing at the new seafood place Fin & Claw in Quezon City is like coming back full circle to its roots.
The AMP Band has come a long way. Take us back to the start, when and why was it formed?
The band was loosely formed sometime between 2007 and 2008, when we had the chance to get gigs as an ensemble of at least 10-12 musicians. We were longtime session musician friends who shared the same passion of listening and playing horn-based band arrangements.
We started gathering every Monday afternoon at a small music bar in Timog. Parang rehearsal band lang, playing (music chord) charts that I invested in, just for the heck of it, and found ourselves enjoying the camaraderie. We completed the lineup of 18 musicians in 2009 and decided to make the group official.
Another reason was to reintroduce and promote the big band genre — something that had gone missing in the music scene after many musicians started trickling out of the country in the ’80s to find greener pastures abroad.
What were the challenges the group encountered in the early years?
No gigs, hahaha! Maybe a lot of young producers, directors and people (investors) in the music industry (and even younger artists) were not anymore used to hearing this kind of a band setup. Masyado raw marami kami.
But when the music of younger, jazz-oriented, suave guys like Michael Buble, Harry Connick Jr. and similar old-soul, old-school international artists came out with hits on radio again, ayun, unti-unti.
AMP went on to become an attraction at special events, including receptions in Malacañang. What are some of the highlights of AMP shows in the Palace and other exclusive events?
Wow, many memorable events for the country, naaaahks!
Some highlights were then US President Barack Obama’s state visit to Manila, and performing for the Asean Summit with then President Donald Trump as main guest.
There was also one concert at the Theater at Solaire with the great Dianne Schuur. Magical, lovely, bombastic, and humbling.
I guess the international crowd still likes this type of entertainment as a staple. They really appreciate the big band sound because the genre has always been familiar to them.
The AMP is composed of seasoned musicians who have also played in many important recordings, as well as younger ones who are currently in demand as session musicians. What’s it like during rehearsals, how do they relate to each other?
It’s like one big family. We treat each other as more than co-workers, always excited to be together for fun, excitement, jokes, laugh trip, exchanging musical and technical stuff, ideas, and then more stories about anything under the sun. Todo. Happy family. That’s what it’s all about, really.
The difference between AMP and other big band/orchestral groups is AMP’s ability to play a wider repertoire that swings from jazz to rock to pop. Is that a conscious effort, or did it come in a natural, organic manner?
It was natural and organic. That is the gist of the big band repertoire. A lot of it, too, I believe, stemmed from the jazz genre and how its composers and arrangers thought and treated this musical tradition.
The AMP has also recorded its own album. Give us an idea of its content and where people can buy it.
These are homegrown, original stuff from the brilliant minds of the composers and arrangers who contributed to the album. One gets the feeling that the music you are hearing, as you listen to each track, is rooted deeply in the musicians’ love for one another and passion for the craft.
There is, of course, a lot of spontaneity, as well as discipline in each musician’s playing, as a soloist or in an ensemble setting.
This album is really about the composers, musicians and arrangers who, as individually, uniquely gifted artists, collaborate, respect and express their God-given gifts as a unified entity. The end result is mind-blowingly satisfying! It’s available sa mga suking online platforms: Spotify, Apple Music, etc…
The AMP has performed in all types of venues. Is there a difference between playing in a big concert hall and an intimate club like 19 East?
There’s not much difference in terms of passion when we play. Pareho lang ang intensity for each musician.
Concert halls nga lang tend to be more formal as compared to club gigs where we usually go all-out, musically, extending things here and there, plus, the natural tendency to interact with the audience in a more casual manner.
Tell us what fans, as well as first-timers, can expect at AMP’s show on Aug. 21.
It will be bombastic, hehehe. Timog, here we come again, full circle!
Watching AMP is an extraordinary experience. Watching you switch from conducting the group and playing saxophone in some numbers is amazing. Isn’t it difficult to do, or does it become easy due to the fun element?
The fun and excitement in playing with extraordinary talents like the musicians and singers in the band make it my comfort playground. The music and the musicianship are quite infectious. I still get amazed with each and every performance. There’s always something to celebrate and then take home each time. This is probably why I look relaxed and fullfilled, like you said, it seems easy. But really, there is always nervousness associated with unreleased energy, especially before we step on stage. But, as soon as the music starts, we find ourselves in that sweet, comfort spot and end up floating with gratitude in our hearts. EDV
