AFFINITY Sightings!
March 28, 2006The free "Alerts" services of Google and Yahoo! have been convenient for learning AFFINITY's buzztrail in the online world. Here are some choice pickings, with brief sketches of each article (and if you click the http hyperlink, you'll see its entire page).
Johnny Alegre - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Alegre
Guitarist Juan BH Alegre III, aka Johnny Alegre (b. … In May 2002, Johnny Alegre formed Manila's premier jazz group, the Johnny Alegre Affinity, …
GlobalPinoy.com, Showbiz News
http://www.globalpinoy.com/news/showbiz/05032005/show1.php
Guitarist Johnny Alegre ignites an electrifying performance. Affinity is guitarist Johnny Alegre, bassist Colby de la Calzada, drummer Koko Bermejo, …
Candid Records Philippines
http://www.candidrecords.com.ph/events.html
Event: Canon Awards. February 2 (Thursday), The Johnny Alegre AFFINITY … Time: 7PM. February 15 (Wednesday), The Johnny Alegre AFFINITY …
Insanity in a box
http://jmibanez.livejournal.com/tag/events
And lo, Johnny Alegre's CD was there. Which meant that they must be playing. … Although they were just a trio (Johnny Alegre on the guitars, Koko Bermejo …
Welcome to Manila Bulletin Online
http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2005/06/29/SCTY2005062938133.html
Over 150 bands performed during the festival including Kitchie Nadal, Session Road, Moonstar 88, Johnny Alegre Affinity, Tropical Depression, Sugarfree, …
Music is my radar - February gigs - Johnny Alegre Affinity
http://mightydacs98.multiply.com/journal/item/29
JOHNNY ALEGRE AFFINITY Feb-02: THURSDAY, SaGUIJO CAFE+BAR Guijo Street(nearby) Pasong Tamo cor. … Add a Reply to: February gigs - Johnny Alegre Affinity …
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=262028
… Bloc Party, John Legend, Mono, psychedelic, world, classical, jazz, tai-chi, Indian, Johnny Alegre Affinity, Ambassadors, Tori Amos, Daft Punk, Weezer,
3rd Manila Jazz Festival Photo Gallery by Reynald Ngo at pbase.com
http://www.pbase.com/rngo/3rdmanilajazz
Johnny Alegre Affinity band did their stuffs both covers and from their new self titled album … Johnny Alegre Affinity, Tots on Alto Sax Tots on Alto Sax …
Johnny Alegre: Information From Answers.com
http://www.answers.com/topic/johnny-alegre
Subsequently, the self-titled album, "Johnny Alegre AFFINITY" was released in the Philippines in mid-2005 and was subsequently re-released in the UK as …
http://www.livebands.com.ph/bands/band.aspx?id=4163
The Johnny Alegre AFFINITY began as an ensemble that gathered in Manila's Pink Noise Studios for guitarist Johnny Alegre's composition, …
ClickTheCity - Shows and Events
http://clickthecity.com/event/detail.asp?evid=15184
Johnny Alegre Affinity Johnny Alegre-guitar, Simon Tan-bass Koko Bermejo, drums. The Johnny Alegre Affinity cd is available at the following stores: Tower …
RP hosts 'historic' jazz & arts festival
http://news.inq7.net/entertainment/index.php?index=1&story_id=63776
INQ7.net - Philippines … This was followed by grand performances of the UP Jazz Ensemble, Johnny Alegre Affinity, Lester Demetillo, Makopa, Jong Cuenco, Isha with Look, the Ria Villena …
Johnny Alegre Affinity Jazzhound on CD
http://www.virginmegastores.co.uk/entertainment/
music/53756-cd-jazz-music-johnny-alegre-affinity-jazzhound.html Buy 'Johnny Alegre Affinity Jazzhound' online at VirginMegastores. Jazz Music: Johnny Alegre Affinity Jazzhound on CD.
Latest News
In stark contrast to the finely recorded first album released late last year, the 2nd JA AFFINITY release will consist of Live! album tracks; some familiar, and others entirely new. The project will treat listeners to a generous sweep of AFFINITY’s performance highlights and the various grab bags along the way. It will be a return to the primitive and dangerous sensibilities of AFFINITY’s stage presence, the exciting elements that made the group challenging and fresh, both for their audiences and the participating musicians themselves. The second album will feature Johnny Alegre, Colby de la Calzada, Tots Tolentino, Koko Bermejo, Elhmir Saison, Jeri de Leon and Simon Tan in musical chairs playing AFFINITY’s different kinds of music. The amazing audio engineer, Noel de Brackinghe, is presently breaking ground at Sweet Spot Solutions to make this album truly special and collectible.
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AFFINITY at the Shang
March 16, 2006We’ll be playing at the Grand Atrium of the Shangri-la Plaza on March 25 (Saturday) as part of the annual "Coffee Tea and Jazz" festivities. It’s a free concert. Show starts at 6pm.
ROCK-ED SA CCP:
March 7, 2006A benefit concert on high gear.
Tuesday: March 07
Starts@Sunset of March 7th
Ends@Sunrise of March 8th
At the CCP Main Theater Driveway RampFacing Roxas Boulevard
Rising above the din of political white noise, these artists are coming together to say, "Teka teka teka, Leyte naman muna..." The lineup so far: Radioactive Sago Project, Noel Cabangon, UpDharmaDown, JuanPabloDream, Giniling Festival, Paramita, The Dawn, Sound, Makatha, Kjwan, Stitches,Paolo Santos, Jeepney Joyride, Spenglers, CoverMeQuick, Menaya, Bateria, Reggae Rock, Shards of Ice, Reklamo, VirginHunters, Carol Bello, tenor DondiOng, Reklamo, Estilo, Escordatura, Formula Juan, Torotot Festival, SweetPotato, Kapatid and many many more including the Johnny Alegre AFFINITY to open the main concert event at 8PM.
A special edition of the band.featuring Johnny Alegre, guitar Jeri de Leon, bass Mar Dizon, drums. All artists are performing as volunteers.100% of the proceeds will go to the Leyte survivors fund.
A PhP100 donation will be requested from you at the gate. A donation stubgets you one free Pale Pilsen beer compliments of San Miguel. March 7 is a zero-politics night.March 7 is all for Leyte.Come in Peace. Please. Only 500 people are allowed at a time on the CCP landing. For obvious reasons, we hold the safety of people and property as priority so we will follow the No In&Out policy. Come Early. Come Steady.The "Para sa Leyte" Consortium: Rock Ed Philippines, the Cultural Center ofthe Philippines, NU107, Terno Recordings, MTV Philippines, Preview Magazineand Dakila.
AFFINITY with CANDID RECORDS
February 2, 2006
Candid Records Philippines Corp., the Manila subsidiary of the independent jazz record label based in the UK, announces the addition of the Johnny Alegre AFFINITY to its prestigious roster of jazz artists, with a self-titled first album. The inclusion of the Johnny Alegre AFFINITY establishes Candid Records’ presence in Manila as the premiere jazz record exponent of the country and, perhaps, of the Far East.
Lauded by a Business World feature article as "Manila’s jazz superband", the AFFINITY, featuring alto saxophonist Tots Tolentino, pianist Elhmir Saison, bassist Colby de la Calazada, and drummer Koko Bermejo, is documented in a stellar collaboration. The Candid label originated in New York in the 1960s when Archie Bleyer, owner of the Cadence Label and producer/writer Nat Hentoff, indulged their passion for jazz music with their own jazz line, with recordings by Charles Mingus, Abbey Lincoln, Steve Lacy, Charlie Mariano, Max Roach and other jazz musicians regarded today as legends.
Alan Bates, the CEO of Candid-UK, observes "there is an amazing amount of wonderful talents to be heard far and wide in the jazz world." Candid’s contemporary artists in the UK include Stacey Kent, Jacqui Dankworth, Kyle Eastwood and Jamie Cullum.
Some personal tidbits from JA :)
Q. Some insights into your musical origins: How do you describe your style? Is it something you created deliberately, or did it just occur? How did you get started in music? What elements got you interested in the art form called jazz? Who were your mentors? What are your realizations now that you're in the thick of it?
A. This calls for an excerpt straight off of the Johnny A. website. Here goes!
I play improvisational guitar, the style where you deliberately step out of what you usually do, into a state where you discover problems, clues, pathways and new possibilities. I am constantly engaged with artistic issues, regarding time, articulation, the shaping of notes and harmonies and all the growing pains a creative artist must deal with. My childhood home had abundant amounts of vinyl strewn about, and I remember hearing exciting music as far back as I can remember, such as 50s Elvis Sun and RCA Records, Frank Sinatra in his Capitol years, and later being absorbed into the 60s milieu of the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Cream and the advent of British Blues, Carlos Santana and Woodstock, and the venerable B.B. King. I also used to go to the Thomas Jefferson Library of the United States Information Service, where I borrowed records by Charlie Parker, Thelonius Monk, Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, and the Modern Jazz Quartet. As my listening habits evolved, I discovered Antonio Carlos Jobim, Ella Fitzgerald, Claus Ogerman, Stan Getz, Stevie Wonder, Ravi Shankar, entire institutions of 70s jazz eclecticism like Circle, the early RTF, Weather Report, Lifetime and Mahavishnu, Keith Jarrett, Mwandishi, Headhunters, ECM, and so forth. A very large bag indeed, or so I imagined. But the most influential turning points happened sometime in my freshman year in college, when I "discovered" for myself the albums "A Love Supreme" by John Coltrane and "In A Silent Way" by Miles Davis, which permanently changed the way I wanted to learn and play music. I'm constantly involved with all manner of musical searching; but those two main cats are enduring inspirations and guideposts.
AFFINITY : A Capsule History
February 1, 2006
A capsule history of the band
The Johnny Alegre AFFINITY began as an ensemble that gathered in Manila’s Pink Noise Studios for guitarist Johnny Alegre’s composition, “Stones of Intramuros” in May of 2002. The opus, included in the jazz anthology CD, Adobo Jazz Vol. 1, was a mesh of artistic, technical and communal creativity between the composer and his allies, bassist Colby de la Calzada, drummer Koko Bermejo, pianist Elhmir Saison and saxophonist Tots Tolentino.
The band’s first public appearance (comprised of Alegre, Bermejo and the 6-string electric bassist, Jerri de Leon) in October of the same year for the Adobo Jazz album launch at the Monk’s Dream Jazz Bar heralded the AFFINITY’s reputation –as proclaimed by aficionados in the ensuing reviews– as “Manila’s Jazz Superband”, with a power trio at its core. For the remainder of the year, the group continually re-emerged, augmented by a who’s who of luminaries from the Philippine jazz firmament.
In 2003, the original quintet that recorded “Stones of Intramuros” returned to the studio to record new compositions by Alegre; followed by a succession of other dates leading to the release of the eponymous album, “Johnny Alegre AFFINITY”, by the UK-based jazz specialty label, Candid Records.
In 2005, amidst critical praise, and an astonishing volume of sales for a hardcore jazz instrumental album, Candid Records ushered the “jazz superband” through a promotional tour, leading to an illustrious gala performance at the famed Ayala Museum, and followed by two groundbreaking performances at London’s PizzaExpress Jazz Club.
Concert History (2002-2005)
January 31, 20062002, October 20
The "Adobo Jazz" Album Launch
2002, November 23
San Mig Pub Jazz Night
2002, December 7
Greenbelt Blues & Jazz Festival
2003, June 21
Fete de la Musique 2003
2003, March 20
Eurotiles Dixie Night At Federal
2003, November 28
"Jazz In Time" Concert & TV Special (U.P. Theatre)
2004, April 3
Acoustic Nights At The Corte de las Palmas
2004, December 13
Philippine Association Of The Recpording Industry Advocacy Concert Series
2004, June 10
2nd Manila Jazz Festival (Jewelmer/Air-France)
2004, June 19
Fete de la Musique 2004
2004, May 21
1st Makati Jazz Festival
2004, October 17
2004 Candid Jazz International Festival (Manila)
2005, April 2005
Wednesday Jazz Night At The Ayala Museum
2005, May 8
Johnny Alegre AFFINITY & Oranyan Coltrane (back-to-back): 19 East Bar
2005, June 18
Fete de la Musique 2005
2005, June 24
Crossover Live Party (Eastwood City Walk)
2005, June 25 & July 2
"Affinity: Manila's Jazz Superband" Concert (Alabang Town Center)
2005, June 3
3rd Manila Jazz Festival (Jewelmer/Air-France)
2005, March 19
Soft Launch at The Grand Atrium (Shangri-La Plaza)
2005, May 14
2005 RJ Guitar Festival
2005, September 23 & 24
Candid Jazz Festival Week (PizzaExpress Club, London)
2005, October 5
2005 Candid Jazz International Festival (Manila)
2005, November 12
La Mesa Dam Wellness Festival
2005, November 6
2005 Audiophile Hi-Fi Show
2005, December 12
Philippine Association Of The Recording Industry Advocacy Concert Series
2006, January 21-23
1st Philippine International Jazz Festival (Harbour View, Manila)
Liner Notes from the UK Edition of AFFINITY’s album, “Jazzhound”
The Philippines is not automatically thought of as being a hotbed of jazz –young or old. Indeed one cannot think of any Filipino artist (with the possible exception of pianist Bobby Enriquez) who has enjoyed the benefit of exposure in the West. That there is a jazz scene at all in Manila might surprise more than a few. The fact is however, that due to the long political and cultural association between the Philippines and the USA, many musicians have studied in the US jazz colleges such as the University of Texas, University of California and Berklee and there has long been an interaction between visiting American and native Filipino musicians and singers.
Johnny Alegre’s AFFINITY is described as “high energy interaction”, “jazz on the fringe of danger”, and “Manila’s jazz superband” and a growing pool of ardent listeners are eager to follow the latest tales of this sonically and visually engaging jazz group. The Manila superband began as an ensemble that gathered in the city’s Pink Noise Studios to perform guitarist Johnny Alegre’s composition, “Stones of Intramuros”, in early May of 2002. The opus was a blend of musical, technical and communal creativity between the composer and his allies, bassist Colby de la Calzada, drummer Koko Bermejo, pianist Elhmir Saison and saxophonist Tots Tolentino.
Guitarist/leader John Alegre himself had studied at the University of the Philippines College of Music and was a founding member of the UP Jazz Ensemble. He brings to AFFINITY more than twenty years of experience, having participated in countless live bands and record sessions. Messrs. Bermejo, de la Calzada and Saison are also all seasoned professionals with innumerable appearances and recording credits to their names whilst saxophonist Tots Tolentino is at the very summit of the Asia-Pacific pantheon of jazz players. Tolentino has progressed through his days at Berklee to collaborations with Japan’s Terumasa Hino and Hongkong’s Eugene Pao among others.
Since its inception, AFFINITY’s activities have been ongoing; and on the live front, Alegre, de la Calzada and Bermejo have brought AFFINITY to the forefront of Manila’s live jazz scene. Their gigs span Manila’s high profile club and concert venues in modular formats: as an atmospheric guitar trio, as a hard-hitting quartet with Saison; and as the quintet par excellence with Tolentino and the hard-bop bassist, Simon Tan. The group’s prodigious concert activities include the annual French Spring event, the Fete de la Musique, the Jewelmer Jazz Festival and the Candid Records International Jazz Festival. They drew raves for their stellar performance in the Upsilon Jazz Concert XII at the University of the Philippines Theatre, which was aired on national television over RPN-9. Many of the group’s club dates are enhanced with appearances by the blues vocalist extraordinaire Cooky Chua and the young chanteuse Mishka Adams.
The groovy guitar/saxophone unison line in East Indies kicks off this engaging CD, leading into lyrical and forceful blowing by the internationally renowned sax master Tots Tolentino and featuring in turn the smooth and sensuous guitar of the leader and flowing lines of pianist Elhmir Saison. The empathy these musicians enjoy is evident throughout the set and in particular in the super relaxed interplay on Wind and Water. With the exception of Groove by bassist de la Calzada, all the compositions are by Johnny Alegre and feature the same satisfying mix of unison themes and standout solo statements by the participants.
This rare international release by Filipino artists gives the rest of the world a fascinating insight into what is a rapidly burgeoning Manila jazz scene.
Alan Bates
London,
September 2005
