Tots Tolentino

Tots Tolentino (born on July 2, 1959) is a jazz musician from the Philippines. Biography Tots Tolentino’s interest in jazz began at age 16 upon hearing recordings by Charlie Parker. In 1977, he enrolled at the University of the Philippines Conservatory of Music where he studied flute under Prof. Eric Barcelo and played with the U.P. Jazz Ensemble, switching to saxophone. He afterwards enrolled at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, under the tutelage of Joseph “Joe” Viola where he graduated magna cum laude in 1982. His professional career as a first-call session musician in the Philippine recording industry culminated in his own first album in 1990. Albums Tots Tolentino has five solo albums to date, namely the self-titled Tots Tolentino (1991), both under Blackgold Records; and Color Real (1993) with Dypro Records. In 2012 he released a Christmas album entitled Tots Tolentino Plays Vehnee Saturno Christmas Songs . In 2015, he released another Christmas album under the Jesuit Communications Foundation, called God Rest Ye! (Christmas Jazz with Tots Tolentino). Bands In the early 90s, Tots Tolentino fronted the group Buhay, a band composed of Pinoy jazz musicians W