All that jazz
For most music lovers, the mere mention of pianist Boy Katindig’s name instantly brings them on a nostalgic trip to the 1980s, when jazz fusion was taking the country’s music scene by storm. Boy belongs to the illustrious Katindig clan whose father, Romy Katindig, has been credited with pioneering Latin jazz in Manila.
But I remember Boy the most for his original “smooth jazz” compositions, such as I’ll Always Stay In Love This Way, Capture the Changes, and Away From You. It was the time I was starting to savor the financial independence brought by my first job. My girlfriend then (now my wife) and I would go on weekend dates to jazz hangouts such as the Papillon in Makati, and Birds Of The Same Feather in Quezon City, among other popular jazz clubs. Boy shone, despite having to share the airwaves with heavyweights like Lee Ritenour, Al Jarreau, Kenny G, Bob James, David Sanborn, Dave Grusin, among other leading vendors of this pop-oriented blend — also known as “West Coast” or “AOR fusion.”
I believe that it was also the period when the fusion genre was being subsumed into another form, “smooth jazz,” where Boy found his niche. “Smooth jazz” is basically influenced by R&B, funk and pop. It is a jazz sub-genre which can be traced back to the late 1960s, when producer Creed Taylor was collaborating with guitarist Wes Montgomery on Taylor’s own CTI Records. CTI bred various established jazz performers, including Freddie Hubbard, Chet Baker, George Benson and Stanley Turrentine.
Under Taylor’s guidance, CTI set out to deliberately target pop audiences, but its brand of music attracted jazz fans instead. Smooth jazz has never been considered “true fusion” by followers of both mainstream jazz and “jazz fusion.” They could not get over their chosen genre which sprang (mostly thanks to Miles Davis) from a morphing of elements of jazz with special focus on improvisation, the rhythms and grooves of rock and blues, and the beats and heavily amplified electric instruments and electronic effects of rock.
It was therefore with a heavy heart that I turned down the invitation of Boy’s own record label, Koolkat Productions, to watch his concert last Sept. 18 in Vue Bar at The Bellevue Manila, Alabang. The invitation came late; I could not get out of a previous commitment. According to Koolkat’s Eleanore Floresca, the two-hour concert aptly titled “Say What? Contemporary Jazz at its hippest!” showcased nostalgic jazz tunes from the ‘70s and ‘80s. She says Boy himself handpicked the selections which represented a balance of retro jazz and new soulful and funky tunes. The show covers a variety of soul and jazz recording artists such as Brian Culbertson, Earth Wind & Fire, Al Jarreau, George Benson, Lou Pardini, Bobby Caldwell, Seawind, Stevie Wonder, Jeff Lorber, The Rippingtons, Ramsey Lewis, Patti Austin and Freddy Fox.
Regarded as the country’s most famous jazz export, Boy has produced and recorded seven internationally acclaimed albums. His latest CD, “Groovin’ High,” released under Koolkat is now regarded as one of the best independently released genre discs.
International artists like Gerald Albright, Abe Laboriel, Brandon Fields, Russ Freeman, Phil Up church, Brenda Eager, Robert Greenidge and Michael Paulo have appeared in his records playing his original music. Boy’s composition Puerto Princessa had been included in compilations, together with the works of Spyro Gyra, Bill Evans, Dori Caymmi and other jazz luminaries. He has headlined the Allegro at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, and recently, toured with artist Paul Taylor. He has opened or shared center stage with George Duke, Fourplay, The Rippingtons, Spyro Gyra, Paula Jackson, Jr., Jazz Attack, Euge Groove, Kilauea, Jeff Lorber, Rick Braun and Branford Marsalis.
Arriving from a series of shows in Kuala, Lumpur, Malaysia, and for the first time in Manila, Boy played alongside an all-male vocal-oriented R&B band, Mo-Teef. Mo-Teef. Despite being fairly new in the local band scene, the group, made up of naturally talented, excellent and promising musicians, proved its worth by jamming with the Philippine jazz icon. Also in the show to relive her partnership with Boy is former band mate and award-winning vocalist Maritoni Falconi. Maritoni’s career grew during the jazz era in Manila in the ‘80s. Her vocal style and presence at the concert no doubt heightened the nostalgia felt by the audience who, for a night, were able to relive the genre’s heyday and all that jazz could offer.
* * *
For comments or questions, please e-mail me at audioglow@yahoo.com or at vphl@hotmail.com. You can also visit www.wiredstate.com or you can tweet audiofiler at www.twitter.com for quick answers to your audio concerns.
