It's Time We Revisit Jacob Collier's Magic Before His Manila Show
Grammy-award winning multi-instrumentalist and musical wizard Jacob Collier is playing a show in Manila on Tuesday, June 3 and it’s only timely for us to look back on what makes him such a magical artist with a knack for therapeutic melodies out of what seems like every insturment known to man.
The English musician is set to take stage at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City and leave fans in awe with his virtuosity.
The Manila show organized by Karpos is part of the artist's “Djesse Vol. 4 World Tour” centered on his fifth studio album or the last installment of his Djesse album series, which first took shape in 2018.
Collier was originally going to perform at the World Trade Center in Pasay but Karpos switched venues to create a “better concert experience for everyone attending a night of harmony and musical magic.”
Also Read
What You Should Be Listening To Before beabadoobee’s August Show in Manila
Tori Kelly: "My Dreams Always Involved Music. There Was no Plan B"
The multi-instrumentalist, who seemingly breathes and speaks in harmonies and perfect pitch, seems bent on living up to moniker of being the “Mozart of Gen Z.” He is known for his tracks' densely layered production and his proclivity to make use of his full-bodied baritone voice in a multitude of ways.
With a tremendously optimistic view and ethos on creating music, Collier believes there are no wrong notes in the composition process and that there is no "good or bad" music. He says it’s all about making these elements come together and make sense for his particular musical vision.
“If you play a note that feels wrong, then you can put that note in a new context that makes it right. And I just love that feeling so much and I have spent many many hours in this exact place,” he said in a YouTube video.
This will be Collier’s third outing in the Philippines after starting out in 2016 at the Malasimbo Music and Arts Festival in Puerto Galera, where he showcased a blend of jazz grooves, funky, and other genres. His second show brought him Manila during the 2022 iteration of the Djesse World Tour organized by Karpos at the Filinvest Tent in Muntinlupa City.
Coller has seven Grammy Awards under his belt after being nominated for the prestigious prize 15 times. The musical wunderkind won Grammys for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals for “Flintstones” from his debut LP In My Room; and Djesse Vol. 2 tracks “You and I,” his cover of “Moon River,” “All Night Long,” and “He Won’t Hold You.” Last year, his performance of "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" got a nod for the same category, as well as a Best Arrangement, Instrumental or Acapella Grammy for his cover of “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” with vocal juggernauts John Legend and Tori Kelly.
Before his show, you can brush up on harmonics, the circle of fifths and basic music theory with these Jacob Collier tracks/ collaborations that can help you gear up to be a part of his ingenious audience choirs.
The Magic of Jacob Collier in Three Tracks
1| “Never Gonna Be Alone” featuring. Lizzy McAlpine and John Mayer
Gorgeous and pristine, this is arguably the biggest song from Collier's latest full-length LP. The tie-up was initially released as a single in 2022 fresh off the success of Djesse Vol. 3 and was added to the Djesse track list last year. The R&B and trap-inspired percussion is something different from Collier as he strips down his complex use of harmonies and key changes for tasteful songwriting, crooning, and guitar licks from rising alternative pop star Lizzy McAlpine and pop-blues icon John Mayer, respectively. The song was understandably written during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, when many people experienced loneliness and isolation.
McAlpine carries the track as she wistfully paints a picture of loneliness and yearning as Collier’s baritone voice puts on the weight. Mayer resolves the track through an unsurprising and understated yet masterful solo and lingering lead melody that ties everything together.
Some people might find it jarring to get into Collier’s music because of the complex layers and musical choices that may seem “a bit much” as casual music listeners may think they need to have a music degree to fully appreciate. This song proves that the so-called “Gen Z Mozart” also has a knack for making earnest and emotionally grounded pop music.
2| "All I Need" featuring Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign
The third single from the Djesse 3 album offers soulful vocal from English singer Mahalia and Hip-Hop star Ty Dolla $ign. The gorgeous and jazzy piano chords and a prominent slap bass from Collier drives this certified groovy pop anthem.
The track also showcases neo-soul influences with the buttery smooth vocal runs stacked on top of Collier’s background harmonies, which highlights his own voice as a production tool. The song’s chorus reaches euphoric heights with groovy energy via the introduction of soaring electronic synthesizers and the crescendo resolving in Mahalia and Collier crooning “Let your love shine down,” and Ty Dolla $ign chiming in with “Let your love shine on me.”
“All I Need” is a testament to Collier’s ingenious musicality being transferable to accessible pop music.
3| “Here Comes the Sun” featuring dodie
Collier and English indie-pop artist Dorothy Miranda “Dodie” Clark cover the Beatles classic, which shows how the wunderkind finds his own way to pay homage to the greats via the addition of xylophones, ukuleles, and deep vocal harmonies. His rendition of the Fab Four's Abbey Road hit, which is a part of the Djesse Vol. 2 album, starts out faithful enough to the original with serene acoustic guitar playing but eventually builds up and culminates into a dazzling and uplifting instrumentation that would have made the late-great George Harrison proud.
The Djesse Vol. 4 show in Manila will have Balcony B seats costing P3,350, Balcony A at P4,450, newly added Loge seats for New Frontier Theater at P5,550, Regular Floor Standing at P4,450, and VIP Floor Standing at P6,650. For more information, visit Karpos Multimedi's Instagram.
