Corey’s Picks (Music Reviews)
Gintautas Abarius (Jazz / Classical / Fusion)
Gintautas Abarius
To write truly good music, you must understand the language of sound in all its dimensions. There is hearing, feeling, and eventually, there is that unique connection that a really great musician learns to build with their audience over time. In rare cases, as with the late internationally accomplished pianist, Gintas Abarius, the son of famous Lithuanian conductor and composer Lionginas Abarius, the connection is downright infectious. I met Gintas more than a year ago when I was contacted via telephone to do some promotional work for the band Baltic Avenue. At the time Gintas was in good spirits, despite his ongoing battle with a severe form of throat cancer. I don’t know if it is the hardship of experiences like that or if it was simply in the way he embraced life in general, but as I began to hear more and more of his work, I realized that I had come to know an artist who truly understood what it meant to put meaning to music.
When I first heard the album, “Quietness and Trust”, I was deeply impressed by the way the intimate melodic phrasing invites the listener to catch a glimpse into the soul of Gintas himself. Especially during the pieces “Cloud of Praise”, “Adoration”, and my personal favorite track “Gratitude”, it was quite an experience to be able to intuitively understand and share in the delicate emotion and love Gintas expresses through the keys of his piano. I haven’t enjoyed a collection of solo piano pieces like this since I was introduced to the album “Nocturnal Afternoon” by the legendary pianist Joseph Rojo, nearly two decades ago.
Gintas was born in Lithuania in 1959 and began playing piano at age 5. The following are a list of a few of his major accomplishments throughout his tenure as a world-renowned jazz musician.
- (1980) Winner of Grand Prix at national Birstonas jazz festival in Lithuania.
- (1987) Winner of Grand Prix at international music contest in Moscow. Concerts on national TV of USSR in Moscow.
- (1988) Grand Prix at national Birstonas jazz festival. Gintas Abarius is announced as the best jazz pianist in Lithuania. “Abarius Jazz Trio” received international award of jazz critics as a Discovery of the Year of USSR.
- From 1987, Gintas toured and played with much success in Germany, Poland, Finland, Russia, Denmark, England, Latvia, Bulgaria, Holland, Estonia, Spain, Iceland, Slovakia, Israel, and the USA.
- Gintas composed two national anthems for Lithuania – “Saukiu as Tauta” (“I Am Calling the Nation”) and “Dieve, Laimink Lietuva” (“God, Bless Lithuania”) which are always heard during Lithuania’s national holidays and celebrations.
Though Gintas will be sorely missed for his musical talents, uplifting Christian message, and eccentric cosmopolitan sense of humor, we will neither forget him nor the gift of music he gave to the world.
You can buy or listen to Gintas’ albums “Gates of Joy” and “Quietness and Trust” by visiting any of the following links.
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| Buy “Quietness and Trust” from Amazon.com |
| Rhapsody subscribers can listen to Quietness And Trust here. |
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Armen Martirosian (Fusion / Pop / Jazz)
For some strange reason, when I listen to Armen Martirosian I am drawn back to the first time I heard the band Enigma. It’s not that the music is the same, except that it has a nice cultural divergence that Enigma was always able to deliver. The difference is that this band is from Armenia and the tribal elements that emerge in the compositions are nicely woven into the landscape of the music. It’s a nice break from the traditional samples you get from other bands who just focus on the beat and leave out the fine art inherent in delivering a rich cultural experience.
I think I am going to get me a copy of this band’s CD to pop in my car and play at full blast while driving through the ghetto on a Sunday afternoon. It is my mission to bring some culture back to the American music scene. It’s not always about the screaming guitars. It’s not always about the lame lyrics. Sometimes, it’s simply about giving you the feeling that you are there that makes all the difference. And it can be hard to capture that feeling if all you listen to are bands who share your cultural perspective because they live in your small corner of the cosmos. So, check this band out and enjoy a change of pace for a while. You’ve earned it.
To check out Armen Martirosian, please visit,
http://www.myspace.com/martirosyan
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Eternal Essence (Progressive, Instrumental, Rock/Metal)
Let me start out by saying that Eternal Essence absolutely rocks. This is so good, I have to grab my pair of Sennhiser headphones for another listen while I write. My initial impression of this band was that it was heavily influenced by Dream Theater. You can just feel it in the mix–especially if you focus on EJ’s machine like tight drum work, which is just all around superb. The use of piano and synth throughout, which provides a backdrop to work with, helped to give each piece a lot of genuine atmosphere and character. Even the bassist brings something to the table, interjecting subtle details of noted intricacy that add a nice touch when needed. The guitar work, which is oddly well tempered for a band of this genre of music, keeps with the spirit of the overall thematic approach that this band has crafted so well from one song to the next. And if I had to hazard to go out on a limb, I would risk saying that this band is going to continue to put out more awesome sounding tracks. In fact, I look forward to it. But, don’t take my word for it. I urge you to have a listen for yourself. And be sure to drop me a message to let me know what you think about Eternal Essence.
To check out Eternal Essence, please visit:
http://www.myspace.com/eternalessence
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