My cousin Wet introduced me to jazz, and big bands. Before that, I never heard of Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker or Joe Sample and his contemporaries. Then I fell in love with Manhattan Transfer, Chuck Mangione, the Crusaders, Noel Pointer, George Benson, to mention just a few. Listening to their music makes me feel alive... gives me a reason to be, sort of.
We also have jazz singers and performers here in the Philippines.. but I haven't heard of their renditions anymore, live or on radio. Many of the Filipinos are just not into it. I feel a little sad that talented Filipino jazz artists like Jacqui Magno stopped having concerts because there's just too little demand for her musical forte. Lately, however, there's a good number of local talents like Sitti, Richard Poon and Nina who dared to be different. Sitti's samba sounds good and Richard Poon's I'll Take Care of You sounds romantic. Nina's stylized rendition of classics is fresh and scintillating.
I am not saying that jazz performers don't have a following here. They do have a good number from the A and B crowd..those who have "the" taste for it and at the same time can afford a 4-digit tickets. So for the rest of us who may have the taste but don't have a grand or two for the ticket will just have to wait for 2 weeks or maybe a month for the televised version. Fair enough, I think.
But then, we can always download. Right?
Photo of Chuck Mangione from www.starpulse.com
4 comments:
I love jazz too but most of it I listen to is on the radio
Living in New Orleans (the birthplace of Jazz) for a few years really spoiled me. I miss all the good live shows, and most of all, their yearly Jazz Fest.
Until I discover You Tube, thanks to my daughters who introduced me into a lot of internet activities besides googling Research Work for their school, I no longer have trouble or problem with music.
I, for one, can't afford to watch live concert. If there is free, I am lazy going into the hassle of travelling to go to the venue unless I happen to be around the area. I usually watch it on TV, if not, listen it on radio. And when I do things on pc, I You Tube. I even have my own profile in You Tube just to collect all sorts of music I want.
I never go to Border's that I do not stop in at the music section to listen to "Jazz", and most times "forced" by that little voice in my head to take a CD home. Great post...
Regards,
A.J.
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