Tago Jazz Café: Of cold beers and unadulterated blues

Written for: The Neighborhood, 2017
Image from: Tago Jazz Café

The golden days of the Manila Club Scene was a strange era reminiscent of sticky dance floors, eardrum-splitting bass drops, and 500-peso drinks chased with bitter small talk. I wasn’t too sorry to grow out of my tacky weekend heels and customary “The night is young and so are we” captions. Luckily, my less-than-tragic mourning was cut short by the genesis of speakeasies, underground bars, and hidden pubs. They sprouted all over the city like mushrooms after a rain – from The Curator and ABV, to Ocean’s Telephone Company and Finders Keepers. While they were certainly a refreshing diversion from the usual Fort Strip locale, my standard sangrias weren’t getting any cheaper nor was I finding enough solitary comfort in my Friday nights.

Enter Tago Jazz Café – my newfound sanctuary and answer to my sociable introvert woes (you know, for when you want to be out but not with the prerequisite of forced human interaction). What I thought was a stone’s throw from Cubao X (arguably one of the more popular night spots around the North) ended up with me wandering into a nondescript neighborhood in Cubao. Here, the houses were hushed and streets were somber – an unlikely place for a bar, but certainly true to its name which translates to “hidden” in Filipino.  

The converted house with its dimly lit walls and worn-out leather couches welcomed me like one’s grandmother would after a rough day at school. One thing is clear once you enter: people come here for the music, and the music alone. It was no sketchy dive bar despite its rugged appeal, but it posed no gimmicks either, despite its niche nature. Instead, Tago Jazz Café is like a temple where visitors came to seek solace in the form of jazz music for the soul.

I was surprised to hear that the bar has been alive since 2010 – because, why did I only find out about it now? It was established by Nelson Gonzales, who loved music so much he decided to give up his own abode to make room for what would be the home of jazz in Manila. From the rubble of debt and a house with nary a drop of water or electricity, he renovated the place with his own bare hands. Fueled by the drive to redefine “elevator music” away from upscale hotels and venues, he has had to take on the roles of default drummer, janitor, accountant, cook, and even security guy – all to keep the dream afloat.   

“I’m trying to educate a lot of folks. [Most] of the people in the audience are new to jazz,” he shared in an interview with Carol Dussere. “After coming here even on a bad night, they realize music isn’t just pop and commercial. At first, I was just trying to [survive] as a business, but now my purpose has evolved into bringing [people] together.”

Going to a bar that seems teeming with its usual suspects and resident jazz cats might be intimidating. You’d think they can sniff an outlier from a mile away (“wait, was it Johnny Cash or Coltrane?”), but the experience is completely opposite. Whether you’re new to the genre or have been bumping Chet Baker from the womb, it’s an open invitation to join in on their blues and jazz love affair. Some of the artists who frequent the stage include seasoned veterans such as guitarist Noli Aurillo and saxophonist Pete Canzon, coupled with band talents like swing-bop group Rey Infante Trio and the Swingster Syndicate, who heads the open-jam sessions every Sunday. If you’re lucky, you might get to catch big-namers in the audience or on stage, who hail from all over the world – from Grammy-winning Latin pianist Edsel Gomez, to Dionne Warwick band members Todd Hunter and Jeffrey Lewis. But then again, names are of unimportance at Tago Jazz.

Nobody will sneer if you’re nursing a beer by your lonesome in a corner, nor will they care if you have nothing to add to their conversation. Your curiosity and sheer interest just by being present will speak louder than any drunken bathroom chat with strangers you won’t remember in the morning. Plus, hey, the food is great and beer is cheap. At 55 pesos, it’s far less than your pack of smokes from a posh club.

As the first chord is played, a distinct energy and aura can be felt from the front rows to the last unassuming person by the door. The sight is a sea of elated people who come from all walks of life, united by one common denominator: jazz music. “Intimidation doesn’t exist in my place,” Gonzales assures. “For people who might think that jazz is hard to understand, I say, ‘what the heck.’ It’s music. Jazz is communication without words. You just let your emotions and thoughts flow through you and your instrument.”

That’s one spiritual experience you can’t put a name or a price on.

Tago Jazz Café is located at #14 Main Avenue, Cubao, Quezon City. For line-ups and schedules, visit their Facebook page.