The Bricktones!

Music has been an integral part of my being. I come from a family of musicians and it has greatly affected my life in many ways. For instance, my Dad made a living as a musician and he was able to put me and my sisters to school because of his profession. I'm proud he was able to travel and see the world despite the fact he wasn't able to go to college because he had to support his parents and his sisters at a very young age. 

It's interesting to note that both of my grandfathers were musicians as well. They both could play the trumpet really well though in different methods: my grandfather from my Dad's side, Keng was a proficient note reader while my grandfather from my Mom's side, Kiko played by ear. Also, both of them were band leaders during their prime: Keng, conducted for my family's marching band, Banda Zabat, which is also known as the oldest marching band in the Philippines while Kiko managed a big band called the Coconut Groove Orchestra, which made a name for itself back when American armed forces were still stationed at Clark Air Base.

What does this have to do with bricks you ask? Well, ever since I started playing with Lego, I've always wanted to do something to combine my love for music and for the brick and I think I've finally done it this time. Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce, the Bricktones! These guys will be Nothing But Brick's official house band! 

I've always been a sucker for big bands especially when I started listening to a vinyl record of the Coconut Groove Orchestra my Dad and I found after my Lolo Kiko passed away several years ago. Since then, I started listening to local and international big bands like Juan Pablo Dream, Chicago Transit Authority, Tower of Power and my current favorite, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra.

Kiko And His Coconut Groove Orchestra. This is the only picture I have of my grandfather's big band. He's the one with the trumpet up front. My Dad's the first trombone player from the left. He's only seventeen when this picture was taken.

Let's have a look at the members:

Harley, The Drummer

Buddy, The Bass Player

Teddy, The Lead Guitarist

Joey, The Rhythm Guitarist

Tom, The Keyboardist

Tito, The Percussionist

Akira, The Violinist

Rick, The Sax Player

Karl, The Vocalist

Francisco, The Bandleader and Trumpet Player

I've spent the past couple of days trying to think how these guys would sound like. I'm pretty sure they'd be one helluva band. By the way, Buddy the bass player's bass guitar really has a whammy bar. Crazy!

There you have it, folks! Let's hear it for the Bricktones! You'll be seeing more of them in the blog so watch out for that. 

Thanks for reading another entry here at Nothing But Brick. Enjoy the rest of the week!