How to appreciate jazz: Feel it, hear it live, says Japanese drummer
Photos by Francis Brew
“It is hard, even in Japan,” Juasa “Juice” Kahno, the irreverent young jazz drummer says.
It is the pocket press conference for the 2014 Tokyo Manila Jazz and Arts Festival (the second) in Raffles Hotel. Kahno rests his chin on his palms, his curly mop of hair projecting a nonchalant air.
In contrast, his festival bandmates—pianist Yuki Arimasa, upright bassist Benisuke Sakai and saxophonist Hisatsugu Suzuki—are rather quiet gentlemen. They are backing up Japan-based Filipina jazz singer/TMJAF founder/co-producer Charito for the festival.
Have fun and people will follow
Kahno, who has an intense air about him, replies emphatically when asked how more young people can appreciate jazz. “This may not be the answer, but inviting them to live performances is a step forward. It is true for all kinds of music… you need to feel the atmosphere, hear the actual sound coming from the instruments.”
He and Sakai both feel that what they’re doing isn’t necessarily “special” but they keep hoping, dreaming and trusting that their enthusiasm will rub off on new audiences.
Charito herself sums it up: “If you play good music and have fun, people will follow.”
Don’t lose the audience
And fun they had.
The next night, all their virtuosic solos were met with enthusiasm from the Rockwell Tent audience.
Sakai in particular smiled as he blazed through his fleet-fingered spot after a telepathic interplay with the equally happy Arimasa, the complexity masked by the joyful connection he made with the audience.
As Charito, who has 14 albums released in Japan, explained, “Some musicians search too long for their sound, their tone and they start losing the audience.”
Just let it out
Suzuki’s lyrical tenor work was sweet and crescendoed to a relaxed intensity that the nearly 800-strong audience, aged 8 to 80, responded to.
His approach, he said, is to just let it out.
Kahno’s drumming was frenetic like his hair but focused like his opinion.
Enthusiastic response
In fact, the entire evening was playful, educational and utterly entertaining, anchored by the actress and jazz fan Cherie Gil, dressed in Natori and brimming with wit.
The consistent enthusiastic response from those in attendance confirmed Kahno’s theory.
He adds jokingly during the show, “We want to go to an island. Book us!”
Pinoy jazz musicians aged 8 to 24
The TMJAF main event on October 18 was kicked off by the Philippine Youth Symphonic Band compirsed of jazz musicians aged 8 (!) to 24 playing a rousing .version of “Blue Rondo a La Turk.”
Conducting the band was maestro Romeo San Jose who, unfortunately had an accident earlier in the afternoon and spent the performance with his left leg in a cast.
The Company used their trademark velvety harmonies and astounding scatting skills on the APO’s “Mahirap Magmahal ng Syota ng Iba” and “The Flintstones” theme. (They dedicated the latter to the Manhattan Transfer’s Tim Hauser who passed away the day before). They also revealed that they remain perpetual students: despite being together for nearly 30 years, they still attend workshops to continue improving their craft.
Standards and fusion
Sitti, accompanied by Henry Katindig on piano, delivered the 1941 standard “Skylark” before doing the bossa nova classic “Agua de Beber.”
Charito and her band’s set included a sensual version of Michael Jackson’s “Rock with You.” They were joined by jazz legend Boy Katindig who played with a fusion-approved Rhodes keyboard patch.
“Since you all seem to understand and know what you’re listening to, we’re going to play fusion, and I want you to clap on the 2 and 4.” Katindig’s trio launched into a precise and tight ensemble performance filled with complex unison lines and angular rhythms and harmonies.
Local jazz heroes
Portraits of Romy Katindig (Boy’s father) and bassist Roger Herrera by jazz caricature artist Fabo were brought onstage, highlighting the impact they had on the local jazz scene.
The Asosasyon ng Musikong Pilipino (AMP) big band delivered burning high energy swing and featured trombonist Ronnie Marquez’s composition “Tribute” which featured Nestor Gonzaga on flugelhorn. AMP leader Mel Villena described the piece as “perfect jazz writing… mismo.”
They also did an energetic Andalucia-influenced reading of Freddie Aguilar’s “Anak.”
No self-indulgence
The entire night was filled with virtuosi, but more importantly, there was little in the way of self-indulgence, the technical showcases serving purely the music and the audience.
The three day festival (which included a workshop at the National Museum and intimate performances in Raffles Long Bar and Greenbelt 5) was the Manila leg of the project and will culminate in Tokyo from November 28 to 30.
It was designed to nurture cultural exchange, innovation, and artistic collaboration between the two countries.
Bound by the limits of imagination
Executive producer Maja Olivares-Co explains, “It will not be limiting itself (only) to jazz as an art form… we will expand it to the seven arts with a focus on the visual arts, architecture, design, culinary arts, film, etc. TMJAF is an exciting fluid concept. We are bound by the limits of our imagination.”
Philippine musicians for the Tokyo leg include Noel Cabangon, Tots Tolentino, Boy Katindig and Charito.
The atmosphere was right and, judging from the response, Kahno is right.
