Twenty-third of a series Summer’s here, and with it the tautening grip of Fernweh — the German “farsickness” that describes a bone-deep yearning for exploring places elsewhere. Unfortunately, the war triggered by the US-Israel attack on Iran has stranded many of us at the “weh” station: that uniquely Filipino intersection of disbelief and skepticism and,...
Tag: Portraits in Jazz
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Portraits in Jazz: Michael Mark Guevarra keeps it real
(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,...
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Portraits in Jazz: Butch Saulog’s flow and order
(Seventeenth of a series) For the record, I informed this month’s Portraits in Jazz subject of my intention to borrow the first lines from a 1983 Dave Frishberg song, “My Attorney Bernie,” as the title of this piece for two rather in-your-face reasons: First, because Butch Saulog’s given name is “Bernard” (usually shortened to “Bernie”),...
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Portraits in Jazz: Keeping up with Colby de la Calzada
(Sixteenth of a series) Age is a wonderful thing when it happens to people who embrace it as fully as they have lived their lives. Some even laugh about the exigencies of aging, admitting that the attendant forgetfulness has compelled them to keep the good ole’ CV in ship-shape. Colby de la Calzada—bassist, composer, arranger,...