MANILA, Philippines?The band Chicago has kept going despite Terry Kath?s death in 1978, Peter Cetera?s quitting in 1985, and the rest of the founding members? reaching the senior-citizens? age group.

The guys believe their music ?improves with age??even as some observers note that Cetera?s replacement, Jason Scheff, could use more creativity when singing the high notes.

In any case, Chicago?which formed in 1967 as a rock band with horns?has an extensive body of work that?s worth hearing again. Those who missed the band?s last concert here mounted by Ovation Productions more than 15 years ago have another chance on September 14 at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Inquirer discovered new information in an e-mail interview with two of the band?s original members, keyboardist/vocalist Robert Lamm (who wrote ?Beginnings,? ?Questions 67 & 68,? ?25 or 6 to 4,? ?Saturday in the Park,? among others) and trombonist/arranger James Pankow (composer of ?Make Me Smile,? ?Colour My World,? ?Just You ?N? Me,? ?Alive Again,? etc.).

Early repertoire

In the early days, Pankow recalled, ?soul music was the pop genre and the band covered songs by Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, the Temptations, the Four Tops, James Brown, the Righteous Brothers, the Young Rascals, and the Beatles, among others. Our repertoire was simply what was available to us and probably had some influence on our musical direction, but the Beatles, especially the ?Sgt. Pepper? album, had the biggest impact. They reinvented pop music and inspired us to find our own voice.?

Panko clarified that, contrary to what some people think, there are no references to the Vietnam War in such songs as ?Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? and ?Saturday in the Park?: ??Does Anybody ... ? was simply a reference to time and ?Saturday ... ? was a song about Robert Lamm?s fondness for Central Park in New York, where he grew up. Robert?s music, in particular, became politically motivated with the onset of the Vietnam War, but those two songs were not part of that.?

Dislike for horns

Lamm debunked claims that Cetera left the band due to the hectic touring schedule: ?I believe he and the people closest to him thought he could be a star, like Sting ... ?

Pankow agreed to the observation that the horn section took a back seat when Cetera and producer David Foster started calling the shots in the 1980s: ?Cetera and Foster wrote the majority of the hits. Unfortunately, Cetera disdained horns, and it became increasingly frustrating to tolerate restraint in the arranging process on those records.?

Lamm elaborated on the content of ?The Stone of Sisyphus,? an album released last year after being shelved for 15 years: ?This album can be enjoyed for the diverse and edgy collection of fantastic new songs and performances, great vocals, great horn arrangements and interesting lyrics, too.?

Best ensemble

Asked whether age has given them a new perspective on the songs, or playing them live for that matter, Pankow replied: ?We have continued to evolve as musicians and performers. Like fine wine, our music and virtuosity have improved with age. The current ensemble is the best it?s ever been. We feel so blessed to have had such a long career. It has truly enhanced our appreciation of what we do and how we do it.?

Informed that Cetera played six Chicago tunes when he played at the Big Dome on Valentine?s Day last year, and asked how different Chicago?s show will be from its last gig at the Folk Arts Theater, Lamm said: ?I think Cetera needs to learn new tunes! I have no idea what we played the last time we were in Manila (was it in 1993?) but it will be different because, and I?d like to make a point here, music is an organic art form. Some songs are the same, but different each time we perform them. We will play all the music we feel our Filipino audiences will love!?