My Combo Story by Jesse Jocson

My mom and dad told me that whenever, wherever I see a piano, I pull my dad and let him play and me sitting by his left side tinkling the lower keys. I guess you could imagine the sour notes I was hitting and my dad always
shoved my tiny hands away from the keys. I guess that was my first taste of music. I was 3 years old.

I was inspired by this man Teddy, a famous soft drinks salesman, who, once a week pass by the store near our place and while taking his break, plays his ukulele. He played so good and it was love at first sight with this musical instrument. I always waited for him everyday cuz I don't know what day he will come to deliver. I was 12 years old.

I guess all daddy has a way of knowing what their kids like and one day he came home and gave me my first musical instrument, the Ukulele. I cherished and took special care of my ukulele that wherever I go. It was always with me, even at bedtime. How to play the ukulele was the big obstacle then. Step by step, I found my own way playing the instrument while the rest of my friends were playing basketball around the block. At 13, I was joining amateur and radio contest and winning. Almost became the champion in one radio contest at CBN`s DZXL "Pasikat ng Talino" for ukulele instrumentalist but I guess, I wasn't ripe yet.

My first combo was the G-Clef Quartette . A harmony group aka 4 Aces, Crewcuts and 4 Lads. We were not called Band then cuz during those days it meant orchestra with brasses and reeds and whatchamacallit. hehehe.

Every combo then was acoustic. So you see, we were doing "un-plugged" before USA invented it....The funny thing about the combo, our bass instrument was a real Filipino ingeuinity. It was made out of the old G.I. gasoline container, put a neck and one nylon cord string and did provided the bass even notes were the same pattern all the way.

The G-Cleff has also accomplished its mission as all combos dream of then. To be a part of the famous Radio/TV program "Student Canteen" hosted by Miss Leila Benitez, late Mr. Pepe Pemintel and Mr. Eddie Ilarde.
When The Skylarks left their post, we became the regular Tuesday combo at Darigold Jamboree after winning the weekly Darigold Jamboriador contest. The G-Clef disbanded for schooling reasons and I joined Dario Fajardo
(RP Harry Belafonte) back up combo playing the upright acoustic bass.

Recruited by Bernie Manabal Jr. and played with the famous 5 Brown Boys who just came back from abroad. We did a lots of gigs at Clark Field AirBase`s Officer`s Club, Airmen`s Club, Radio/TV programs, Clover theater,
Manila Grand Opera House, and not to mention town fiestas and private parties.

College studies were getting too hectic then and have to lay low with my combo days.

During my R.O.T.C. days at The University of Santo Tomas, I met Jorge Ramos who was forming a group The Vibrasonics taken from a Fender amp model.. Instrumentals were the trend then with the music of The Ventures , The Shadows , Chantays, Duane Eddy, etc occupying the airwaves. Played the drums and guitar. We didn`t make it big like The Electromaniacs, Hi-Jacks, RJ and the Riots, The Technicolors, etc....We did not have funds to buy those Fender amps , Fender or Hofner guitars, Premier and Ludwig Drum sets. But we did play at times at Bobby Ng`s "Jam Session" with our locally made guitars and amps. Vibrasonics disbanded and I joined The Condors as their drummer alternating with Rey Sanchez and The Wanderers at DZRH TV program held once a week.

Things happened so fast during '63 and found myself abroad performing as a guitarist/vocals with The Pioneers in Hongkong. I owed a lot from this group cuz they taught me the ABC`s in club performances. A 4 piece band with a recording contract with EMI. The Pioneers recorded an EP 45 rpm for EMI released only in Hongkong and other British territories. Then the band proceeded to Bangkok, Thailand taking the baton from the Fabulous Echoes at Naturists Club. I left the band to finished the rest of my BS Nursing course as ordered by mom and dad.

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Then, traveled again this time with the 2nd generation of The Jaspers to Okinawa US Military base. Now a 6 pcs band, the Jaspers opened for Executive Arms Hotel's The Basement Pub. Paquito Kit Samson heard about us, took The Jaspers and made a mark at Dewey Boulevard`s "Bayside". Those where the days when we

were really flying high. We introduced the Motown sound and the Soul Beat at Deweys Plush Night Clubs that changed the music trend all over the rows of night clubs full band era. A commentary made by the late Joe Quirino in one of his articles at "Seeing Stars with Joe Quirino" That paved the way for more small piece band like ours to come in and be hired by different nightclub owners. The Jaspers were not just a dance band. They were
actually a show band before show bands were born then with their lead singers Vergel and Rudy dance routines. Our music was a combination of the Righteous Brothers, James Brown, Temptations , Wilson Picket, Otis Redding, etc….

In 1967, The Jaspers recorded some tunes and I was so happy hearing it over the radio. The song "Um..Um...Um.."flip sided with our soul version of Julie London's standard "Cry me a river". It sold 500K records according to our producer Vincent Ty of Vincent Records. :-) Bayside caught fire and burned my 1959 Fender PB. :- (

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The Jaspers disbanded and find myself doing regular solo stints at Art Zamora`s "9 Teeners" at Channel 9. Joe Quirino`s "Super J", "Seeing Stars with Joe Quirino" at Channel 13 , Jinny Pia's The Insiders, and Carding Cruz Mabuhay Band as one of his singer.

My big break to have my own band was given to me by Mr. Leandro "Biboy" Enriquez . President and owner of Sulo Hotel. Gave me the chance to perform at his Sulo Hotel`s Mutya Room for a year as the "Something Special", a name he gave us which later evolved to "Pink and Purple" after a 12 months gig at Singapore' Tropicana Theater Restaurant. Came Japan stint here and there like the "Penthouse" and "New Latin Quarter" at Akasaka, "Royal Havana" at Ikebukuro, "Belami" of Kyoto, "Night and Day" at Ropponggi, "Tennis Club" at Ropponggi, "La Fonda Theater Restaurant" at Hiroshima,"St. Tropez" at Osaka, "Anak Pub and Restaurant" at Morioka, Iwate Ken as a Singer, Big Together/Brauhaus at Shinjuku, Japan.

Searching for more music Genre, I joined Alan Dancel at Bulakena's Restaurant . A polished and seasoned pianist and I played bass and vocals. I have learned a lot from him regarding Standards and Jazz , Music progressions, Harmony and Distribution, Tension Chords etc….The group evolved as The Fanfare and performed in Saipan Continental Hotel and Guam Fujita Tumon Beach Hotel for a 2 year gig. The Fanfare had to chance to perform for The President of the United States Jimmy Carter when he went to Guam. Courtesy of Mr. Jimmy Dee, Guam's Minister of Tourism and Guam`s Recording artist who joined the Fanfare Band later for a gig at Guam's Hilton Hotel.

It`s a long story huh......still a lot to cover. Anyway, left the music business for good during 1980 and migrated to USA working as a Registered Nurse, only to find that USA is not my kind of town. Took a vacation and ended up at Spinet Scotch and Piano in Koriyama City, Fukushima Ken, Japan performing for 20 years as a Singer/Pianist/One Man Band.



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From PCR webcreator:​

Jesse Jocson resettled back here in Metro Manila in 2009. He is a co-moderator of PCR eGroup and pretty active with PCR Manila activities.   He recently formed the Odd Couple with Rey Naluz (former Bits N Pieces).     ​