Glory days of Birdland relived

MANILA, Philippines - In the ’80s, when one mentioned jazz, Birdland inevitably came to mind. Understandably because in that era, Birdland was known as that upscale music haven in Quezon City frequented by jazz lovers.

Originally named Birds of the Same Feather, which opened in 1978, Birdland distinguished itself as a popular jazz night haunt where the biggest come on were the top artists performing there.

Owner Serafin Pua, a certified jazz lover who put up Birds with a few business partners, dauntlessly plucked out established performers from their respective nightly stints in other lounges just to sing at Birds.

Jacqui Magno, then a frontliner at Hyatt’s Calesa Bar, was convinced to sing nightly at Birds with the Sticky Band, composed of Boy Katindig (keyboards), Rudy Lozano (guitar), Paco Gamboa (bass) and Jun Viray (drums).

Guitarist Rudy Lozano

Richard Merk, who was with the Fourth Generation Band at the Tropical Hotel in BF Parañaque, was also made to jam with the band at Birds. “I sang You Are the Sunshine of My Life and I was immediately hired,” Richard shares. “My salary was P80 per performance. Beer was only P8 at that time.”

Birdland got its name from a popular New York bar in the ‘50s named after American jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker, whose moniker was “Bird.”

“We changed the name to Birdland in 1986 because I felt the place had landed and many people knew about it,” discloses Serafin. “We also made it bigger, more than three times the capacity of Birds, so we could accommodate more people.”

At its peak, Birdland had to turn away more than 150 people every night, according to Serafin.

Although predominantly known for jazz, Birdland infused Original Pilipino Music (OPM) into its fare and became a staunch supporter of the local singers’ group. The first anniversary of OPM, then headed by Celeste Legaspi, was held at Birdland.

Through the years, Birdland became a performance venue for such artists as Regine Velasquez, Ogie Alcasid, Janno Gibbs, Jamie Rivera, Gino Padilla, Keno, Louie Heredia, Raymond Lauchengco, Dulce, Louie Reyes, Joey Generoso of Side A and the Opera Band (Manolo, Sushi, Zebedee and Cecille). Willie Revillame was then an aspiring drummer.

Saxophonist Tots Tolentino

Gary Valenciano launched his Faces of Love album there. Stage director Freddie Santos, who helmed special concerts at Birdland, was inspired to write the lyrics of Gary’s inspirational hit, Could You Be Messiah?, in the venue.

Birdland was second home to Aga Muhlach, who was a frequent guest there. “It (Birdland) was a big part of Aga’s life,” Serafin notes. “I believe it was there where he honed his refinement and learned more how to deal with people.”

Even international artists became guests at Birdland. The list includes David Benoit, Lee Ritenour, Tom Scott, Ramsey Lewis, Debra Laws, Alphonse Mouzon, Steve Gadd Seawind and the Wild Man of Jazz, Bobby Enriquez.

Tonight and on Sept. 30, the glorious days of Birdland will be relived in Birdland at Merk’s, a special, two-night show that will feature the original artists who performed in the popular music lounge.

Jacqui Magno, Richard Merk and saxophonist Tots Tolentino will headline the show, with session musicians Rudy Lozano (guitar), Uly Avante (percussions), Henry Katindig and Elmir Sayson (keyboards), Mar Dizon (drums) and Colby dela Calzada (bass).

Jeannie Tiongco, scion of the erstwhile trio, Tiongco Brothers, will also perform. DJ Brother Wayne, who became “a big part of Birdland,” will host the show and do a spot number.