COUNTDOWN: The February 2011 Bacolod Jazzfest

Countdown.

 

It’s the other deadly Coltrane track, alongside Giant Steps.

It's where the killing glam guitar solo from John Norum turns around and blasts our minds cosmic.

Simply put, its what we are doing as barely a month's left to the 2nd Bacolod Jazz Festival.

The acts coming over  are heavyweights of the game. Here's a rundown, and a brief description from my own point of veee-eeuuw:

SinosiKAT?

1. SinosiKAT? - A soul/jazz outfit bordering this side of acidfunk which just reeks of grooveness and is drowned with coolness. What does that exactly mean? Simply put, SinosiKAT? is that of highly urban and funky sound, with individual members highly skilled to drop a bebop line in the midst of a groovy track. Kat Agarrado is the female side of Jason Kay of Jamiroquai.  The stage persona takes over, and she careens the crowd into sexy one moment, trippy the other.  Who can be Erykah Badu on one number and suddenly channel the soul powers that be with a Tower of Power cover the next? That's SinosiKAT.  One word: SMOKIN' (Jim Carrey lipwork follows)

MISHKA ADAMS

2. Mishka Adams - If she brings the same rhythm section this February, its surely is going to be another  sultry and sizzling set. Not sizzling as you may think of, but think of it as N'awlins cookin'.  She is the  delicate side of Ella, closing her eyes, singing - no, she tells stories with the flair of someone who has had her heart broken for the umpteenth time, her man stolen by her best friend - In short, her heart beats with the rush of blood from the standards, which is the blues. Two words:  BEAUTIFULLY HAUNTING 

LOGIC

3. LOGIC -  The only glimpse I have had of this Australian fusion quartet is on Youtube, a footage from the Java Jazzfestival. I roughly call this contemporary aggressive fusion (separating it from  old school fusion). This has got to be one of the tightest units I've come across, and all that mondo technique.  Think  of UZEB , or even Yellowjackets type of fusion minus the keyboards.  Dangerous music for dangerous minds.  Three Words: WE ARE MORTALS.

Boy Katindig

4. BOY KATINDIG - Boy Katindig is one of the pillars of Pinoy Jazz as it is now . Elevated into international recognition, Boy has been instrumental in setting the standards for the genre not only in this country, but all over. If Mr. Katindig were to fly here just to play Midnight Lady, I'd still fall in line for that single number. His voice on the Rhodes, ARP and synths remains unique and identifiable, sticking like a sore thumb in the midst of the current rush for everything retro. Seeing the real deal on stage would be worth it. Four Words: WATCH. LEARN. WATCH AGAIN.
   

 

There you go. Four main acts packed with punches heavy enough to get you reeling for a year until the next Jazz Festival.

 And us? I always get this uneasy feeling  writing about us, NANCY BREW, or what we do, really. I may just be fearsome of hard selling the group, while some voice barks behind me and says "The Nerve!", but anyway - being the sole representative of Bacolod is a reason  enough to be humbled. It is also reason enough to pack extra loperamides for that squeaky feeling of opening for the senyors and senyoras of jazz.  Then again, kicking start the festival is an honor. We just hope we do sugar city, our families, our loved ones, the fans, and our Lord proud.  In a nutshell we'll be doing a little bit of everything - sort of a sushi-bar jazz set - just to whet appetites at that. We may do Benson, or Weather Report,an original - whatever we can rock our boats with  - and, whatever our rehearsals allow. 

Career, paternity, relationships, responsibilities and bills have definitely taken its share of the priority pie. Still, for a band working together for more than ten years, playing disco, retro and other stuff ad nauseaum, the view from the roof deck of the L'Fisher Hotel on the 19th of February will surely be a sight to behold - and a grace to be grateful for.

Nancy Brew

As for words, don't ask for any. Still speechless as of posting time.