(Twenty-first of a series)

If the end of the pandemic lockdown had a face, it was—at least for me—that of Michael Mark “Pikong” Guevarra.

It was April 2022, the first night Tago Jazz Café opened its doors after nearly two years of silence. Setting up on stage that night were guitarist Riki Gonzales and Balooze, with Pikong jamming on saxophone. When my small group walked in, Pikong was the first that came into view wearing the sunniest of smiles: unmasked and vibrantly alive, his familiar sax hung around his neck, shiny, promising, and ready to reclaim the musical night.

Pikong is widely hailed in the local music scene as a versatile saxophonist, arranger, and educator. His style is deeply grounded in jazz and big band traditions, even as it also comfortably stretches across several contemporary genres.

Jazz and swing? Since 2017 he has been leading the Project 201 Big Band comprising 19 young musicians playing solid bebop and high-octane swing. Pop and R&B? But of course: He often performs ballads and pop standards displaying a smooth and lyrical tone. Funk and ‘70s soul? You bet: He has a particular affinity for the horn-heavy sounds of the 1970s, such as the music of Earth, Wind & Fire and Stevie Wonder, which requires a punchy, rhythmic, and “pocket-focused” playing style.

Pikong is a professor at the University of the Philippines College of Music, and his playing/teaching form has been lauded for its technical clarity. He’s a master musician who arranges complex horn parts in a manner both structurally sound—reflecting his background in MIDI sequencing and music production—and collaborative—which stems from his long involvement with ensembles like the Asosasyon ng Musikong Pilipino (AMP) Big Band, where his saxophone serves as a vital component of a larger, sophisticated brass section.

The people person

Project 201 originated in Room 201, a Wind and Percussion Department classroom of the UP College of Music, where Pikong teaches Jazz Elective. “During one of the workshops at the UST Conservatory of Music and the UP College of Music by the Tokyo Manila Japanese Foundation headed by jazz singer Charito, I encountered aspiring jazz students from both universities and invited them to rehearse in Room 201,” he recalls. “Imagine, a big band fitting into a small classroom! As a result, we learned how to play with balance and dynamics.”

Today, the group mostly plays at events. “It helps students apply what they have learned in the classroom as well as develop professional skills needed to become successful musicians,” Pikong says.

When he’s not booked as a sideman in the bands of singers Nicole Asencio and Bituin Escalante, or in a performance of the AMP Big Band, of which he’s a founding member and where he sits in lead alto position, Pikong is Project 201’s manager, musical director, arranger, and band member. 

“Events and special projects [involving Project 201] also require me to be an accountant [in charge of receipts and such] or secretary [tracker of tech riders and contracts],” he says. This last bit perhaps best captures his disarming charm: “Occasionally I work as a wedding musical consultant for couples,” he adds. 

Pikong and his reputation as a “master mentor” suggest a personality that easily translates into his music. His performances are invariably vibrant and energetic, often bringing a sense of congenial camaraderie to live jam sessions. In more intimate jazz settings, he pushes boundaries, even incorporating unconventional sounds like blowing on a conch shell to add a playful height to a performance.

His rich, warm alto or tenor sound lends itself perfectly to both swinging hard in a big band and delivering a soul-stirring solo in a hushed jazz club.

The real deal

The Pikong on stage is very much the Pikong in real life—and the one in his socials. There’s no disconnect anywhere. The elegant improviser is also the tireless teacher; he is also the grateful student and the faithful son; he is, too, the loving father, husband, and friend.

Gratitude is a constant in Pikong’s conversation; he is quick to acknowledge the mentors who helped him along the way, from his roots with Lolo Oscar Nogoy of Cabiao Band 88—whose “beautiful tone” first sparked his love for the sax—to his formal training in Manila. “In college, I was privileged to be under Sir Tots Tolentino,” he says, crediting Tots, Ike Dy-Liacco, and the Ugoy-Ugoy Band, for his jazz foundation. He adds that Tony Maigue was the mentor who helped him finish his master’s degree.

Pikong passes on the knowledge to his students today. “I always tell my students that they are their best teachers,” he says. “I may guide them through the learning process but they should do heavy lifting. Practice is essential for mastery, but correct practice expedites the process. Sometimes it’s harder to ‘delete’ wrong knowledge than it is to introduce new concepts.” 

And please, everyone: “Be on time, both in terms of call times and groove,” he adds. “Discipline in both is the most important asset a musician should develop because this is basic respect for the time and talent of fellow musicians.” 

Not too far behind: “Be in tune—at all times,” he says. “It’s difficult for a saxophone player with a background in brass band playing in the province to adapt to the intonation of, say, a big band. The presence of electronic instruments in the big band requires a standard tuning of A=440khz. This is not easy for brass players if their band director is not strict with regard to this kind of tuning.”

The rest is practical knowledge he learned playing nights alongside veterans like trombonist Ronnie Marqueses: “Save money,” says Pikong. “ I have lots of students who acquired their own homes much earlier than I did. Although music is an art, it is still a profession. One still has to make a living. As Mang Ronnie says, you can be choosy when you’ve saved enough—but not before then.”

Hectic but happy  

Pikong teaches at the UP College of Music on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and at the UST Conservatory of Music on Thursdays. If he has a gig with an early call time, he reschedules teaching and plots makeup lessons accordingly. 

He is currently conductor of the Philippine Youth Symphonic Band. “It is deeply gratifying to teach young musicians to play jazz especially in the big band setting,” he says, noting the “big difference between the classical and the swinging jazz eighth notes,” which reminds him of his first experience playing and reading jazz tunes. 

As a teacher, he is also the assistant conductor of Prof. Reyben Maigue of the UP Jazz Ensemble. As a band leader, he is collaborating with dancer, choreographer and educator Alice Reyes for the restaging of the rock-opera ballet “Tales of the Manuvu.”

The local music scene is moving forward, but it’s missing the unique momentum of the pandemic days. That was a time when artists, faced with an uncertain future, channeled all their energy into perfecting their craft, turning a period of isolation into a season of deep, personal mastery. “We survived,” says Pikong. “We strived. And today, work is abundant, musicians are back on cruise ships, bars, and concert halls, possibly more passionate than ever.”

He acknowledges that technology has made production easier, but he argues that gadgets are no substitute for soul. While pre-programmed elements can add texture, it is the organic trio of melody, harmony, and rhythm that serves as the heartbeat of any composition. 

As Pikong puts it: “This singularly human element of creation will determine longevity in the music industry.”

Read more: Portraits in Jazz: Riki Gonzales returns to the blues