Johnny Alegre (upfront) while rehearsing with jazz greats Ron McClure and Billy Hart in New York City.

Despite his impending breakthrough in the US music market with the release of his latest CD “3” featuring American jazz greats Ron McClure on bass and Billy Hart on drums, Filipino jazz guitarist Johnny Alegre will still be based in Manila.

"I love my country and I have no intention of living elsewhere. My collaboration with Ron and Billy is a key for my inclusion in more jazz festivals abroad. If I get in, more people worldwide will get to know how good Filipino musicians are," said Alegre at the “3” album launch held at Strumm’s, Makati City, last Sept. 1.

Alegre is so appreciative of his American collaborators that he even included their resume in “3’ even though it is his solo record.

"But the real measure of Ron and Billy’s greatness is their humility. While recording the album, they treated me as their equal and ensured I felt relaxed in their company," disclosed the Pinoy jazz guitarist.

And although Alegre could have opted to make the CD an all-international outing (recordings, after all, were made in Parkwest Studio in Brooklyn, New York City), he still opted for Filipino talents such as Boyet Aquino, Hazel Pascua, Corey Cruz and Georgelyn Francisco to be involved in its post-production and art work teams.

In an earlier interview with Manila Bulletin Online , Alegre disclosed that MCA Music Philippines chief Ricky Ilacad also has plans of marketing the CD all over Asia, especially in Japan and Korea.

"That is why even though I am not as active in the Original Pilipino Music (OPM) scene as before, I still feel a part of it because of the support of people here whom I have worked with in the past."

According to the literature enclosed in “3,” Alegre’s involvement in the Philippine music scene “encompasses scores of bands and recording projects, OPM and the epiphany in modern jazz.”

Alegre has worn various hats in the last three decades. Aside from being a respected instrumentalist, he was a composer, arranger and record producer to such names as Zsa Zsa Padilla, Tadao Hayashi, Louie Heredia, and Salito Malca.

The Pinoy jazz artist’s instrumental and compositional influences have once been described by jazz historian-musician Richie Quirino as a mix of impressionism, avante-garde, and the blues, among others.

Quirino spoke the truth. At the launch, Alegre performed several songs from “3,” two of which were “Offering” and “Conundrum.” In both, the Pinoy guitarist’s style of playing was refreshingly unpredictable and ran an eclectic gamut of musical expressions.

Rounding up the “3” track list are “Wildflower,” “Barnabas,” “Up,” “Ant/Man,” “From Long Ago,” and “Theme from Humanfolk.”    

The Johnny Alegre show at Strumm's last Sept. 1 was presented by MCA Music Philippines and DREAM 106.7.