Less than two months after the release of Unfolding, his debut EP for Widescope Entertainment, master guitarist Noel Mendez is unleashing a fresh batch of tracks in a genre-busting new album called Halo-Halo.
This time, he is joined by longtime friends who also happen to be some of the most acclaimed and sought-after musicians in the industry covering popular music genres including rock, blues, funk, fusion, jazz, classical and more.
“All the musicians who played are excellent in their own music careers,” Noel exclaimed. “There’s Tateng Katindig who has made the rounds of live jazz circuit in the US. His brother Henry is also doing well in the live circuit here. There’s Yutaka of Hiroshima and Brazzasia fame. Ex-Side A guitarist and vocalist Pido Lalimarmo who now either plays solo or as part of the Steely Dan tribute band, Black Cow.”
Also featured on Halo-Halo are Janno Q, session guitarist and now playing with South Border. Butch V, an ex- South Border and now guitarist for Arnel Pineda. There’s Jesper Mercado, session keyboard player and pianist for the ABS-CBN orchestra, jazz pianist Wowee Posadas, who plays rock for Wally Gonzalez and Black Cow, and Ryan Villamor, another jazz pianist.
There’s also Richie Ramos, session bass player, who played for Gary Valenciano Another session bass player, Jeri de Leon, who is currently playing with a cruise ship orchestra. There’s Joey Puyat, a well-known fusion guitarist during 70s and 80s. Also from South Border is Rancis de Leon, who is also a session sax player. Bobby Taylo is a session bass player while Jack Rufo is a fusion and rock guitarist slash record producer.
Rounding up the guest musicians in Halo-Halo are producer-arranger Gino Cruz, bassist and music director Soc Mina, master drummer Jun Regalado and seasoned session guitarists Cezar Aguas and Ric Mercado.
Noel further revealed that although three of the album’s tracks were written and recorded a couple of years, the rest of the album was written and recorded for less than a year.
“Why is it called Halo-Halo? Because metaphorically, that’s what the album is since it covers a wide array of musical styles,” Noel explained.
Although the pandemic has sidelined many of his fellow musicians, Noel said he still managed to record several commercial jingles at home for Loudbox Studios.
“I also had a chance to compose and produce an inspirational song for the workers/employees of a popular canned meat maker. I even recorded some guitar tracks for other artists’ albums,” Noel shared.
Although he managed to keep himself busy during the currently challenging times, Noel is still looking forward to “going back to session work immediately.”
“I also plan to put up a band, rehearse my material and eventually play my tunes live,” enthused.
Noel Mendez’s Halo-Halo is released by Widescope Entertainment and is now available in major streaming platforms.
To Stream and Download: https://orcd.co/noelmendez_halo-halo