My close friend and I developed this habit of watching Jazz bands/trios/groups anywhere and anytime we like, and we've found this cool Jazz place down at Ortigas where we regularly go to after office around Thursday nights. We're both music lovers, so watching great/not-so-great musicians never bore us.

We found this place where this cool group plays: Skarlet and her jazz band.

Skarlet is the former vocalist of the Ska Band, Put3ska, who eventually came out of the closet and pursued a career in hardcore Jazz Standards. She's one of the newest recording artists of Candid Records (yes, she already has an album out now, Skarlet:The Powder Room Stories, go grab a copy!) and her band is just so great.

My close friend and I have been going to their gigs for several Thursdays now, and we've become one of their known audiences because of our regularity. Bottomline: Skarlet and band became our new found friends hehe. We talk about music, all kinds, from rock to jazz standards, jazz artists, exchange of stories about who are favorite jazz artists are, Skarlet's experiences in the music industry, etc, etc. As we exchanged stories, she basically found out that I sing, that I am currently Jerome's vocalist, and that my friend does play guitar, and that we're both musicians in our own little ways (humble hehe.) She also found out about common friends like my current guitarist, Jerome, who happens to be also her friend, and some other common friends.

Last Thursday, my friend brought his copy of Skarlet's album and had it signed by Skarlet herself and her band. The funny thing is, out of the blue, SHE ASKED ME TO JAM!

Oh my golly banana! Grabe lang ah! My knees really trembled! Hello?! This is the first time ever that I'll be singing with a whole bunch of professional Jazz artists and I feared that I might let myself (or them, or Skarlet, who volunteered me in the first place?!) down. But I couldnt say no because she knew I know the song, I was just conscious that I might not do/sing the song as how I pictured I would. HELLO!!??! Nakakatense!!!

But I couldnt turn her down, so with grace and tension under control, I went up the stage as Skarlet called my name, and the guitarist started to play one of my favorite standards. (FYI: No, it's not Better Days this time hehe) Pinakikiramdaman ko pa how he plays it because THIS IS ALL ON THE SPOT! My Golly Banana!

Breathe in. Breathe out. Relax. Sing like Joyz. Whew.

Ting ding ding ding ding ding...

I went, "It's not the pale moon... that excites me.. that thrills... and delights me..."

and I just started to feel the song. I did several improvs, but still i was cautious.
Hello?! I was at the stage singing with Aya Yuson, THE Simon Tan, and Alex, the drummer of former Parliament Sindicate?! Helluva leap up there.

Thing is, they all liked how I did the song, and I really felt relieved hehe.

Pero kahit pa!!! Cant believe it! I just did a song with a professional Jazz band! hehe.. wala lang, sharing lang hehe. :-p

Anyhow, I returned the favor by inviting them over to our gig, just in case they are available. :-D

Nakakatuwa lang hehe. :-p

It's just really superb surrounding yourselves with musicians who are really great because you get to learn a lot of things, and I never want to stop learning! Keep'em coming! And currently, I'm studying lots of Jazz songs, trying hard to learn the scale, the feel, the groove, observing the technicalities, dynamics, and whateverelse, and I'm loving it. :-)

Let the learning never stop! :-D