Monk's Dream Archive 1


	Former Monk’s Dream Re-opens at Wasabi Resto!

Jazz Diva, Sandra Lim-Viray, scats before a full-house during what Gus Lagman called a “soft opening”, November 12, 2004 at Monk’s jazz room within the Wasabi Restaurant, Makati City. Click here for more photos of the band below.

asabi Japanese restaurant owner, Tito Yuchengco, has added a new twist to his menu...Jazz! In Japan, music lovers are absolutely crazy about jazz, and have surpassed the Philippines' #1 standing in Asia decades ago. Information technology technocrat, Gus Lagman, for more than three years now, has been narrowing the gap by way of his Monk's Dream jazz club.

Sandra Lim Viray, Gus Lagman, Richard
Merk and Tito Yuchengco celebrate
Monk’s opening at the Wasabi resto. ___________________

Now on its third run, Monk's has reinvented itself by dropping the dream. Situated inside Wasabi restaurant (located on Makati Ave., right beside the Manila Peninsula Hotel) is an exclusive smoking-bar lounge that seats 60, now home to Gus' new Monk's that will open its doors on Friday, November 12!

Pinoy jazz entertainment can be enjoyed at the center of the Makati business district on Fridays and Saturdays only from 9pm to 2am. Industry heavies like Sandra Lim Viray and Friends, Koyang Avenir on guitar, Elhmir Saison on piano, Roger Herrera on bass and Mar Dizon on drums on Nov 12; Mon David and Triology with Mark Lopez on piano, Colby de la Calzada on bass and Koko Bermejo on drums on Nov 13; Ria Villena and Friends on Nov 19; Butch Silverio's Nova Quartet featuring Nico Maca on the 20th; JFK on Nov 26; the M Project CD Launch featuring: Sandra Lim Viray on vocals, Michael Guevarra on sax, Romy Posadas on piano, Roger Herrera on bass and Jun Viray on drums interpreting Faye Miravite's music on Nov 27.

"BRAZILIAN JAZZ" A Tribute to pianist-composer, Bong Peñera on Dec 3, will have lots of surprise guests that played with him in the 1970's. Part 2 will continue on Dec 10, with the new wave of Samba-jazz musicians about town!

On Saturday, Nov 20, the Jazz Society of the Philippines will honor its president, Richie

Quirino, for the successful launch of his book "PINOY JAZZ TRADITIONS" by ANVIL Publishing.

Fulbright scholar and former Down Beat Magazine photo- grapher, Collis Davis, has some interesting things to say:

"As an American jazz aficionado, I must profess my utter and total ignorance of the generations of many great Filipino jazz composers and performers until I was able to read Richie Quirino's meticulously well-documented and lavishly illustrated book, Pinoy Jazz Traditions.

With the exception of Bobby 'The Wildman' Enriquez, whom I personally knew in the U.S., I had no inkling of the development of the Pinoy jazz scene here in the Philippines. From having read this important volume, one comes to appreciate how Pinoy jazz musicians came to learn of the African- American roots of jazz from 1898 onward, their self-taught mastery realized from listening to imported 78-rpm jazz records, survival of the blackout on jazz performances during the Japanese Occupation of WWII, and the onlaught of rock music from 1960's onward.

The history contained within Pinoy Jazz Traditions leaves little doubt but that Filipino musicians probably did more to spread a keen appreciation of the art of jazz in Asia than any other factors such as record sales and radio broadcasts. Often criticized as being mere imitators of American jazz luminaries, Filipino jazz musicians actually started to forge an early Philippine identity in composition and arranging by drawing on Filipino traditional songs and folk sources during the late 1930s and early 1940s by the likes of Angel M. Peña, a tradition continued until the present day by artists such as Bob Aves.

Although Quirino's research indicates that many musicians were self-taught in the early years, others on the scene today have enjoyed the highest attainment of educational opportunities in the academy here in the Philippines and in the U.S. The annals of world jazz history cannot be considered complete without the addition of this ground-breaking work."

For more info on Pinoy Jazz Traditions, click here for Front Page 2.

Ehlmir Saison (piano, inset), Sandra Lim Viray (vocalist), Roger Herrera (bass), Mar Dizon and Edgar Avenir (guitar) inaugurate Monk’s jazz room at the Wasabi resto.