Far from the usual weekend for aficionados was that Saturday, as there was tense anticipation for another listening experience which is exclusively Working Stiff. Taberna, a bar located at the basement of Casino Filipino Hotel, Bacolod City was already filled earlier that evening. The place was one jazz loving community: Artists, photographers, guys from the corporate world, musicians, listeners – it’s a big circus of sorts.
Working Stiff. Joey Puyat. Henry Katindig. Iwi Laurel.
It can’t get any better than this.
Anticipation was shattered at the first drop of Bobby Caldwell’s WHAT YOU WON’T DO FOR LOVE followed by Loggins’ WAIT A LITTLE WHILE. Raul had three horns ready beside. Call it a time machine if you want, but amidst the beer and the wild response, the vivid images of vinyl covers, the martial law era and pre – mp3 airwaves dominated.
Nostalgia readings overload as the next song’s familiar strains started. The jazz crowd may have not expected a faithful reading of Caldera’s SERAPHIM (from the sophomore outing SKY ISLANDS) to appear on the set list. A fellow guitar player who just had his second beer downed and it to a gulp and gave me the silly beer smile – “CAL-DEEEE-RAA.”
The band was funky tight and at top form. This is Bacolod, the jazz crowd, after all that was gratefully enjoying every generous servings of improvisation by the Stiffs. Members of La Salle Bacolod IS Batch ’82 were upfront, and were shouting for Spyro Gyra’s IT DOESN’T MATTER. The band though, whipped up with song for Lorraine, Raul doing a faithful reading of Beckenstein’s solos on his soprano. The crowd went “woooooooo” while I was taken back in my own personal world; back when I had to scavenge for cassettes so I can record Spyro stuff, when my father was always on code red for the RECORD button of the old Sony player should Jean Luc Ponty, Jeff Beck or Billy Cobham emerge from the local radio station.
The guy in front of me turned and smiled. “This is music, man”. I said “yeah, this is it”. We engaged into a little chat and it dawned on me how amazing this thing called music is indeed, bridging people into one vibe. He mentioned that the mix was so clear that we can even talk while the guys played.
There was no stage, just a mere 5” platform from the carpet and the tables were almost squeezing the band at the center. This may have been the cause of minimal feedback at the start of the show, where the monitors are just too close to the musicians. I turned towards the boards, and as if the presence of musicians all over wasn’t enough, the man behind the mix was another guitar god, Riki Gonzales (of BALOOZE). In a view, the venue was more appropriate than the now defunct SEUÑO Bar at SM City, where the Stiffs gigged previously.
A shift of direction towards the vocal territory was most appropriate as Ms. Iwi Laurel went upfront. What can go wrong with RHYTHM OF LOVE followed by LET’S BE FRIENDS? Jazz and love mix as those who had their special ones beside them just swayed to Ms. Laurel’s soothing alto. The absence of acid jazz gems from BNH and INCOGNITO was notable, but nevertheless a breath of fresh air. Before heading for the exit, she left with GIVE ME LOVE. The number turned into one happy sing-along experience, as the crowd sang along sans the echoey mic and scores.
Señor Kedy Sanchez took the spotlight on the next number, wielding his strat and breezing through CAFÉ REGIO’S by ISAAC HAYES. The guy treated the crowd with Überfunk strums and octave overload a la Benson. All cheers went for the man in shawl, as the next number that followed was WELCOME INTO MY WORLD. Unbelievably, Kedy’s tone was so clean and round, you wouldn’t believe that it was from a strat (Or you had stacked humbuckers there, Señor? Hahaha). Señors Noel and Rookie lock in wonderfully, with Rookie’s kick hitting it solid with Noel’s bassline. Too bad they were behind the stage, I couldn’t even figure out the bass guitar used.
Henry Katindig joins the band with a number that never fails to connect with this crowd. It’s KATHERINE from JEFF LORBER FUSION, with Raul on soprano sax. The crowd who seemed to know every nuance of the number eagerly waited for the trademark piano octave run midsong break, and Señor Henry never disappointed. Piano and saxophone trade lines, taking the set into another level. Two more Señors join, Joby on saxophone and featured guest Joey Puyat. I have to stop drooling as Señor Joey plugs his Gibson 335 semi hollow. As Noel establishes a solid bass intro of the next number, you hear the “woooooooooooooo” engulf Taberna. It’s LOVE ISLAND by EUMIR DEODATO, Thickened by the dual horns, notes fly by and the crowd get caught into a private party – call it nostalgia, call it high taste- we couldn’t care less as the rest of Bacolod boogies to the pre - Masskara festivity simmering over the city.
Joey then starts with a bent string blues anthem, LADY. The crowd hushes and the camera focuses on his fretboard. Time froze and the message hits home to the audience waiting for every line to waft out of the PA.
And just when the crowd thought the band forgot it’s earlier call for SPYRO GYRA circa 77, Raul obliges on the mic, with a spiel that the next number’s title doesn’t really matter, because it was literally IT DOESN’T MATTER. Señor Joey, starts on the Chet Catalo solo, tearing down one chord change to the other, adding his own story to the piece at everyone’s delight.
The first set ends, and the everyone scrambles up the mezzanine to run into old friends, enemies, claim the much awaited smoke break, beer break, and who-knows-what-else. I got to meet with members of the band and the guests at this time, accounting for the three songs missed at the Stiffs 2nd set.
After some time running through Señor Kedy Sanchez at Philmusic and Multiply, I finally got to talk to him in the flesh, and I found out how warm indeed the guy is both online and personally. A few more introductions with the some of the Stiffs, it was obvious that the gig was more than just the usual gig, as the band was a having a pretty wonderful time. I was with another guitar guru that night, Gabe Ascalon (Destiny, Gravity) and Gabe also introduced Riki, Henry, and Joey. Joey was in fact, using Gabe’s VOX that night and for a flat mix from the amp, the tone was crystal clear. A few pictures, and the Stiffs went for the second set.
We stayed with Joey and Henry and after the band’s third song, returned at the venue. I missed WELCOME TO ST. JAMES CLUB, NEW YORK CONNECTION and SKYSCRAPERS - aaaaaaaaargh! Oggie’s inspired pipes on AL JARREAU’S RAINBOW IN YOUR EYES never failed to bring smiles and cheers, complete with the outro scat.
Ms. IWI LAUREL returns with DO I DO and LET’S STAY TOGETHER. The hyped crowd enjoys every moment of the song as almost everyone joined during the choruses. Ms. LAUREL after all, knows the Bacolod crowd, who even quipped midset that if it was only possible – they’d stay in the city and just play the songs that matter most.
Henry Katindig rejoins and despite complaints of being unable to hear himself much in the mix, was still in top form with the numbers IT HAPPENS EVERY DAY and SPAIN. As the Rhodes (more thickened by a sound module atop his Roland RD 500) intro crunched the B9 chord, and Oggie sings “Yesterday…just a photograph of yesterday”, the hoots shoot (pun intended) and off to El España we go.
Joey rejoins with (IT WAS ONLY) YESTERDAY and SO THIS IS LOVE. The George Benson classic, I haven’t heard for ages and it was a treat to hear it played live again. Unfortunately, we had to leave early –if only we could finish the whole show. I missed the next song, SEEING IS BELIEVING by PAULINHO DA COSTA – more so material from CHUCK MANGIONE, EWF, and LARRY CARLTON to name a few.
It was like pure espresso where the bitter aftertaste confuses you, making you want for more. The Stiffs experience was more like the classic LAND BEFORE TIME closing scene, where you find out there are others like you who still believe in good music and tasteful playing. It was also a walk through the past, the songs you grew up with – yet funnily, the music doesn’t age at all.
If some would beg to disagree, you may want to check how kids are sampling Rhodes, B3s, funk licks and Moog basses nowadays.
I guess I’ve stumbled upon one of the secrets of immortality that night.
(L-R, Joey Puyat, Kedy Sanchez, Gabe Ascalon, Riki Gonzales, Beto Tiano, Henry Katindig, San Miguel Pilsen)
Ms. Iwi Laurel
Henry Katindig
Joey Puyat
Raul on soprano
Bring on the Deodato funk
Kedy Sanchez
Seems everyone's here except my mom...
Poster
Photos courtesy of Bob Coscolluela and Jojo Montinola
The show was brought by JSN (Jazz Society of Negros, mainly Bobby Coscolluela and Lizares Family ), CASINO FILIPINO and DPC YELLOW PAGES.
More pictures:
http://bcosco.multiply.com/http://kedysanchez.multiply.com/photos/album/68#
