The Jazz Grill, located at the del Rosario Compound, Balibago, Angeles City owned by Conrado “Titus” del Rosario, offers a unique music experience every Thursday. The musicians are all instrumentalists and promote improvisation based mainstream jazz.
“We would like to give people an alternative musical experience and not just the usual contemporary music that you hear everywhere else all the time – that is why I chose jazz music,” says Titus.
It started last year and from then on created a following of jazz fans. According to Titus, ever since they started the project, the crowd adjusted to jazz music unlike other music establishments who play music that their customers want.
“In the Jazz Grill, Music is the boss,” he says.
Titus admits it is difficult to introduce anything that is new or not common to people. He says, “Just like an old German saying -When the peasant does not know it, he won’t eat it – And my message is – Come on people, open your ear and mind to new possibilities.”
Performing alternately every Thursday are KapaMu (Kapampangan Musicians) Jazz Collective and The Tale of North Jazz Band – all members are all jazz instrumentalists. Titus plays the alto saxophone and studied Music Composition in the U.P. College of Music and the Berlin University of the Arts.
“The music we play is not the typical lounge jazz. The instrumentalists are emphasized and we have no permanent vocalist. I am very impressed with other bands who can play and sing a wide range of songs, but as I have said I want to introduce something different in the music culture here in Angeles City. This is just one project and I am planning on other projects in the future.”
According to Titus, Music is really closest to Nature not in its melodies – not in its rhythms – but in its textures.
“I am now focused on my SUNLAG ensemble, which plays mostly self made bamboo instruments. The music it plays is inspired by Nature, Asian Music and the European Avant Garde. So we play a lot of texture type music which is something more advanced and beyond Jazz”. He also would want to set up a classical music scene in Angeles City, hopefully in the near future.
But for now, the Jazz Grill is one of the places wherein you could unwind, enjoy jazz music and open your mind to new possibilities. Jazz up your Thursday nights.