“I’ve been coming here (to the Philippines) for about 25 years or so… I’ve been coming here for so long, it’s like part of the neighborhood for me,” said American crooner Jack Jones at a press conference on dec. 28 at Novotel in Quezon City.
Mr. Jones is back for the nth time to once again serenade his fans with hits such as “Lollipops and Roses” (which won him a Grammy for Best Pop Male Vocal Performance in 1962) and the ever-popular “The Impossible Dream.” He will be performing on Dec. 29 and 30 at the Kia Theatre and Novotel Manila Araneta Center, both in Quezon City.
Part of the concert proceeds will be donated to the Kaagapay ng Tagaligtas, Inc., a non-stock, non-profit organization dedicated primarily to benefit of the orphans and dependents of 44 Sepcial Action Force personnel who were killed in Mamasapano, Maguindanao early this year.
Mr. Jones will be joined by his friend, local crooner Jose Mari Chan, with whom he will do his 1964 Grammy winning song “Wives and Lovers.”
“It was his (Chan’s) request that we do it (‘Wives and Lovers’),” he said.
Mr. Jones added that he is also looking forward to singing Christmas carols with the Kilyawan Consortium of Voices chorale.
The concert, entitled Jack Jones Sings from the Heart, will also feature Asia’s Got Talent second runner-up, Gerphil Geraldine Flores. Ms. Flores sang Mr. Jones’ “The Impossible Dream” as her Grand Final song in the competition.
In an earlier press conference, she said she would not sing the song as she’d rather let the originator to do it himself.
Mr. Jones will also be promoting his newest album, Simply Frank, a 22-song tribute to the great singer Frank Sinatra, who — if he had lived — would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year.
During the press conference, Mr. Jones mentioned that the album’s opening track, “Teach Me Tonight,” is one of his favorites, together with the closing track, “The Singer” — a song which wasn’t sung by Mr. Sinatra but that was written for him.
Mr. Jones said he would love to do a duet album of all the things he loved singing, but that he hasn’t actually sat down and worked on it yet.
“It’s always a pleasure performing in the Philippines because a lot of Filipinos are serious music lovers… [it’s] a country very close to my heart. I didn’t have second thoughts on leaving the US on Christmas Day just to get to Manila in time for the concert dates,” Mr. Jones was quoted as saying in a press release.
At the press conference, he said was surprised that many younger people know the lyrics of his songs �” it was explained to him that since Filipino families are typically very close, the songs that the parents listen to are what the children learn. — Z.B. Chua
Jack Jones Sings Songs from the Heart will have performances on Dec. 29, 8 p.m. at the Kia Theater in Quezon City and at the Monet Ballroom of the Novotel Manila Araneta Center, Quezon City, on Dec. 30, 8 p.m. Tickets are available at Ticketnet box offices and online. For inquiries, call 0918-497-2121 or 0906-418-786 and look for Murphy.