Small clubs keep local music scene alive

THE RECORD industry is still reeling from hemorrhage brought about by the Internet revolution. But the music scene in Manila is alive, thanks to inspired performances in small clubs and concerts.

Recently the Inquirer revisited the old Ten 02 on Scout Ybardolaza, Quezon City, now renamed Skarlet Jazz Kitchen, to find a full-house audience having fun watching the AMP Big Band.

Featuring a nonet (nine-piece, instead of its grand 20-piece lineup), AMP demonstrated that it could sound as vibrant as the original versions of Chicago’s “Saturday in the Park” and Tower of Power’s “So Very Hard to Go” (with guitarist Noel Santiago as lead singer).

The sound of its horn section, composed of Ronnie Marqueses (trombone), Nestor Gonzaga (trumpet), Tots Tolentino (tenor sax) Michael Guevarra (alto sax) and conductor Mel Villena (sitting in on baritone sax), stimulated one’s bloodstream with a shot that emitted a slight buzz in the head—like the effect of fine wine or ganja.

Later, the band switched to jazz standards with club owner Skarlet on vocals, before winding up with a flamenco-arranged, instrumental take on Freddie Aguilar’s “Anak,” which Villena dubbed “the most popular song in the world.”

AMP plays Mondays at Skarlet Jazz Kitchen.

Retro pop-rock

At Strumm’s on Jupiter, Makati, the band Mulatto kept a weekend crowd feeling young despite its retro pop-rock repertoire that included Kenny Loggins (“Whenever I Call You Friend”), Bill Withers (“Lovely Day,” which is enjoying a resurgence after figuring prominently in a scene in the film “127 Hours”), Ambrosia (“Biggest Part of Me”), even Barry Gibb/Barbra Streisand (“Guilty”).

Although Mulatto still had vocalist Joey Bautista and drummer Patrick Huit in its line-up, the rest were new members: Keyboardist/musical director Eric Zaballero, guitarist Hans Manapat, bassist Dante Remigio, saxophonist Harold Llanes, trumpeter Denden Diamzon, and two more singers, JT Tamayo and Anna Jomeo.

Jomeo, who’s only 25, is quite a find, her warm, rich vocals easily adapting to the songs’ varying moods. “I first saw her singing typical R&B stuff with another band,” manager Bert de Leon told the Inquirer. “Sabi ko, halika, kumanta ka ng luma. (I told her, come join us, sing old songs).”

Onstage, Jomeo was apparently having fun with old music.

“Of all the bands I handle, Mulatto is number one,” De Leon proclaimed before proceeding to jam to Billy Joel’s “Just the Way You Are.”

Really ha, we ribbed De Leon. Sabagay, one of his other talents, Arnel Pineda, is considered a solo artist here, when he’s not recording and touring with the American band Journey.

Mulatto plays Saturdays at Strumm’s.

Henry K’s originals

There’s another worthy act that plays at Strumm’s regularly: Henry Katindig and Friends. Henry is the keyboardist son of the vibraphonist/sax player Eddie Katindig of the illustrious musical clan.

The night the Inquirer caught his gig, Henry’s band included bassist Noel Asistores, guitarist Ralph Bates, percussionist Dingdong Boogie, drummer Mar Dizon, saxophonist Dix Lucero and vocalist Jeannie Tiongco.

They sounded dynamic, their solos very confident. Most of all, they sent a subtle but powerful message by playing two original songs, “Loving You” and “Cool Summer,” both written by Henry, at the show’s start.

Henry Katindig and Friends plays Tuesdays at Strumm’s.

Cashing in on K-Pop

A concert obviously targeting the teen market, dubbed “P-Pop Explosion,” will be held on April 1 at the Aliw Theater, Star City Complex, Pasay.

We have yet to see how the three acts in the lineup—XLR8, Pop-Girls and RPM—perform. Apparently the members got to join these groups through auditions held by their record label, Viva.

Obviously these groups were formed to cash in on the current K-Pop craze (the concert’s title, “P-Pop,” is a dead giveaway).

As to whether the members’ talents can match the youthful enthusiasm they showed during a recent meet with the press, we will know on concert day.

A real good singer

What we do know is that Marvin Ong is a really good singer who can only get better if his record label, which happens to be Viva, too, guides him well.

His self-titled debut album was not bad, actually. It’s just that he needs more original material, whether from other composers or from his own efforts, in his next album.

Ong’s first major gig on April 2 at the Music Museum should be interesting.

Basil and Zsazsa’s roots

“I was a folk singer at the start, playing in small clubs while going to college,” Basil Valdez told the Inquirer on Friday. He met the press to promote his concert with Zsazsa Padilla on April 26 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila.

Valdez would move on and join Circus Band which later launched the solo careers of most of its members—including his own.

As fate would have it, composer George Canseco sought out Valdez while the latter was singing at a hotel lounge. “I was having second thoughts on singing full-time and wanted to pursue a master’s degree abroad,” Valdez recalled. “But George was so persuasive, saying that the song he was then writing suited me.”

The song was “Ngayon at Kailanman” and the rest is OPM history.

“My mom used to wait for that song on the radio,” Padilla recounted. “I myself grew up listening to the radio. Hearing Sharon Cuneta singing “Mr. DJ” and “Kahit Maputi Na ang Buhok Ko” inspired me to daydream and ask myself: “Kaya ko rin kayang maging singer (Am I good enough to be a singer)?”

Padilla was in her teens, married and raising a kid, when an uncle, Bebong Osorio, asked her to audition as a vocalist for a band.

The band was Hotdog, and Padilla honed her craft by performing in small clubs as well.