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IT’S happened: the first Filipino-American Jazz Festival in New York City, after five years of such a jazz fest in LA. A two-day event held just at the Triad Theater, off Broadway near Lincoln Center, in what is anticipated to be the start of more such ‘feasts’ in the future.
The festival included a trio comprising of pianist Tateng Katindig (son of this NY festival’s Lifetime Achievement awardee Eddie Katindig), Derek Nievergelt on bass, and Abe Lagrimas on drums, and featuring vocalists Mon David, the 2006 London International Jazz Singers’ Competition winner; Sandra Viray, introduced as the ‘Queen of Manila Jazz;’ Charmaine Clamor, the Jazzipino innovator, and the trailblazing Filipino jazz vocalist Annie Brazil, who was the other Lifetime Achievement Awardee that weekend. On day 2, the 2008 Thelonius Monk Competition winner in saxophone Jon Irabagon was the featured soloist.
The evening started with the trio’s pulsating Herbie Hancock’s Blues and Sonny Rollins’ Oleo number (Sweet Georgia Brown snuck in there somewhere by Katindig), cheered by the audience in the intimate club set-up.
In her first ever performance in New York, Ms. Viray, who had just flown in from Manila, grooved into the classic One Note Samba, polished and assured, before shifting into the Tony Bennett hallmark I Left My Heart in San Francisco, giving hints of tone between Dinah Washington & Billie. She gave the song’s "I’ve been terribly alone, And forgotten in Manhattan" lines with—what else?—the New York, New York anthem of Kander & Ebb (and Sinatra-added lyrics). Day 2 saw her in fine voice with Cheek to Cheek (Fred Astaire or Ella/Satchmo, take your pick, with shades of Krall), then straight through to the tender Pasko Na, Sinta Ko. The jazz workhorse That’s All started innocently enough until she blasted into scatsland, bringing Ella Fitzgerald’s 1961 Berlin concert to mind. (She was surprised on the second evening by her high school classmate Pinky Uy-Calingo, now in New Jersey.)
Consul General of New York Cecile Rebong attended the first evening along with Ambassador to the UN Hilario Davide, Jr. and Mrs. Gigi Davide, but each night it was one fun or familiar, finger-clicking number, or remarkable Filipino take on jazz. Aficionado Lorenzo Valdes (who goes to jazz and other music concerts in the US and in Manila) kept jabbing or motioning with a thumbs-up "Galing!", getting his wife to join him for the second night’s show.
In addition to Tateng Katindig and Nievergelt (the latter also performed with Charmaine at Brooklyn Library in early 2008), Abe Lagrimas played on drums and did some ukulele jazz with Days of Wine and Roses and Rollins’ St. Thomas.
Roses brought out the smiles from the Ambassador and Mrs. Davide, lovers of harana, who would later say, "This music, the language of the soul, attracts us, and so you’ll find us there appreciating it."
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