A commentary by Maestro Angel Matias Peña

SCIENCE HAS PROGRESSED FAR AHEAD OF TIME, AND SO HAS OUR PINOY JAZZ. AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE CD "TRANSLATING THE GONGS" COMPOSED AND PRODUCED BY BOB AVES HAS MADE A DRASTIC DEPARTURE FROM HIS EARLIER CD "INNER COUNTRY" AND MORE SO FROM THE TRADITIONAL PINOY JAZZ THAT WE KNOW.

UPON INVITATION BY BOB, RICHIE QUIRINO, RAYBEN MAIGUE AND I HAD A GOOD CHANCE TO LISTEN TO HIS MUSIC DURING ITS EARLY STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT. WE WERE VERY IMPRESSED WITH HIS INVENTIVENESS, CREATIVITY AND DEEP THINKING WHILE HE EXPLAINED TO US HIS PHILOSOPHY IN THE CREATION OF HIS MUSIC

THE QUALITY OF THE COMPOSITIONS RECORDED IN THIS CD IS SUPERB. THE PLAYERS ARE ALL HIGHLY TRAINED IN THEIR RESPECTIVE INSTRUMENTS. BOB'S ORCHESTRATION IS ICONOCLASTIC IN THAT HE COMBINES INDIGENOUS INSTRUMENTS WITH WESTERN INSTRUMENTS. THE CHANTING OF GRACE NONO IS HEARD FROM "SPACE," AND IT PENETRATES TO OUR INNER BEING. BOB HAS RE-COMPOSED THE INDIGENOUS THEMES FROM SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES TO THE FULLEST, MAKING THEM A TRUE PINOY JAZZ - A LANGUAGE THAT CAN REPRESENT OUR IDENTITY THROUGH OUT THE WORLD.



HIS GUITAR PLAYING IS UNQUESTIONABLY JAZZ AND FILIPINO. HIS GUITAR RUNS ALONG MODAL SCALES AND INTRICATE INTERVALS (BINALIG SCALE OF MAGUINDANAO) OVER A COMPLEX RHYTHMIC PATTERN AND DOES THIS IN RAPID PASSAGES WITH SUCH GREAT FACILITY.

BOB AVES IS A GUITAR-OCTAVINA ARTIST WITH A NATIONAL CONSCIENCE, A COMPOSER, MUSICIAN PAR EXCELLENCE.

THIS GREAT ACHIEVEMENT SHOULD GET A PULITZER PRICE IN MUSIC. THE PHILIPPINES CAN TAKE PRIDE IN THE PRODUCTION OF THIS UNIQUE PIECE OF THE OPUS THAT TOOK YEARS OF PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE TO ACCOMPLISH. I AM GLAD I HEARD IT AND AM EQUALLY GLAD THAT I AM NOT THE LAST PERSON TO BE PROUD OF BOB AVES. LET US TELL AMERICA THAT WE HAVE OUR OWN VERSION OF JAZZ - JAZZ THAT TRULY REPRESENTS THE FILIPINO SENTIMENT.

'TRANSLATING THE GONGS' IS A PRECIOUS GEM EVERYONE SHOULD OWN. HAT'S OFF TO BOB FOR THIS GREAT ACHIEVEMENT.

ANGEL MATIAS PEÑA

FEB 8, 2006