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.

Buy “Quietness and Trust” from Amazon.com

Rhapsody subscribers can listen to Quietness And Trust here.

Buy from Amazon.com

Rhapsody subscribers can listen to Gates of Joy here

In the absence of direct experience, should I pretend to relate to a generation that really had nothing to do with me at all? The cultural connection just isn’t there. It isn’t that I’m not interested in learning about that time in our history. I actually possess quite an interest in some of the music of that generation, even if I was never overly familiar with all the significant events that took place back then. But, if you were to ask me about the MTV music revolution of the 1980′s, that is something I can certainly relate to. The “I was there” factor makes the experience real, if only in faded memory today. But, faded memories or not, it was a significant part of the culture in which I had grown up. However, to the kids born in 1991 and later, the music revolution of the 1980′s is as removed from their culture as the music revolution of the 1960′s and early 70′s was removed from mine.

So, is there anything useful later generations can learn from the experience of former generations, concerning what truly drives the music industry to the point of an industry revolution, that would be relevant in modern times? Absolutely! For example, what radio could never do for the music industry, VJ’s and music videos certainly did. For the first time, you not only had music to listen to, you could also see your favorite bands hamming it up every day on MTV. As a teenager I could hardly wait to get home from school. You never knew what new band was going to drop the latest hit music video on the world stage. What a powerful cultural connection that created in its own right. The music industry had finally given us something we didn’t even know we couldn’t live without. And although much of the glory of the 1980′s has drifted off into obscurity, being lost to a new generation that was simply not there to experience it, it was certainly a time to live to those of us who still carry the torch and refuse to let the flames die. Another point to consider is that we understood what it meant to have lived before 1981, when you didn’t have this cultural connection that was brought about by the music video revolution. So, there is some sense of cultural pride in being able to say that we were the first generation to experience VJ’s and music videos as a mainstream form of entertainment. Unfortunately, it seems today that the music industry has lost sight of how much fans need a revolution with a real direction and real leaders in order to keep the industry alive and kicking.

Now, almost two decades beyond the closing moments of the 1980′s, we are on the brink of yet another music revolution. We can feel it in the air, like the way the weather changes in autumn, even if we aren’t exactly certain how it will manifest itself. We are just looking for a leader in the industry to provide us with that special something that we didn’t know we couldn’t live without once again. The atmosphere is ripe for change. The economy sucks and the music industry as we know it is all but dead, but the technology is here to forge a new revolution that may simply turn out to be the flower child of the pirate generation. All of the piracy going on today is really nothing more than the fans trying to get the fires burning, but the industry refuses to take the bull by the horns and figure out a sound strategy to properly brand the new revolution and make money off of it in the process. But, with or without the industry executives getting on board, the revolution is coming. And maybe someday you will be able to tell your kids, “You should have been there.”

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INTRO TO HARMONIZERS AND PITCH SHIFTERS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcXnB1MsjKI&feature=PlayList&p=8792948706480727&playnext=1&index=23

Okay, now that you know what a harmonizer is, let’s check out one that I think sounds a bit smoother than the last one we heard.
BOSS GT10 HARMONIZER DEMOS

Here are a couple more demos of the Boss GT10 unit in action.

Another Boss product that you can use to do harmonizer type of effects is the Harmonist pedal.

BOSS HARMONIST PEDAL

DigiTech has also released a number of harmonizers over the years, and this next product might be just what the doctor ordered to help your rig out.

DIGITECH HARMONY MAN

This next video demonstrates how to use pitch shifting with other effects to produce some interesting sounds.

PITCH SHIFTING WITH DELAY AND VOLUME SWELL EFFECTS

I hope this little demonstration about harmonizers and pitch shifters has been helpful. This is one of those types of effects that can dramatically change your overall sound if used properly. Also, be sure to check out many different types of harmonizers and pitch shifters before purchasing one. Although technology in this area has improved dramatically, the truth is that a lot of harmonizers on the market are simply not very good. So, you really have to watch what you get.

LARRY CORYELL: Jazz minor scales part 1  

LARRY CORYELL: Jazz minor scales part 2

       Choosing the right distortion pedal for your rig can make the difference between a mediocre and an absolutely fabulous playing experience.  But, with hundreds of distortion pedals out on the market, where do you begin?  If you are into older rock, a classic distortion pedal to check out is the Electro Harmonix Big Muff pedal.

THE ELECTRO-HARMONIX BIG MUFF

       Though I love EH pedals, I was not as impressed with the Big Muff as I had imagined I would be.  But, if you just want a basic pedal to get you started in working on defining your distorted sound, the Big Muff is not a bad pedal to start out with.

If you just need a decent distortion pedal that gives you a lot of flexibility, the Boss MT2 Metal Zone might be right up your alley.

THE BOSS MT2 METAL ZONE

       You really can dial in a lot of different distortion sounds with this pedal.  I sometimes use an MT2 through a Lexicon PCM-81 effects rack to get an almost violin sound.  Which is kind of ironic, because the cost of the MT2 is around $90 and the cost of a Lexicon PCM-81 is close to $2000 new.  So, sometimes the best sounds come from mixing cheap and expensive gear together.  You never know what is going to give you precisely what you need.

       Now, if you are really into the sound of players like Joe Satriani, you can begin to approach his signature sound with the new Vox Saturator pedal.

THE VOX SATURATOR

       Though I think the Saturator pedal is likely going to find its way into my pedal chain in the near future, the Ibanez Jemini distortion pedal seems to give more of the control I’m personally looking for in my own playing.

       
THE IBANEZ JAMINI

       Of course, you should really go out and check out a lot of different distortion pedals before deciding which one belongs in your rig.  When trying out distortion pedals in the music store, I recommend running a distortion pedal through an Equalizer Pedal as well as a decent sounding reverb pedal.  Often, pedal demos online tend to present a pedals raw sound, but in reality, that sort of demo is really pretty useless. Knowing how a pedal is going to work along with other effects is typically a far better way to gage its performance and whether or not it is right for your rig.  So, don’t be shy and make those sales reps down at the music store really work their butts off to prove to you that they have helped you to find the right distortion pedal for the job.

  Have you had a GAS attack lately?  Gear acquisition syndrome is an insidious disease that infects most musicians–especially those of us who play guitar.  It sneaks up on you slowly and just takes you over.  Before you know it you are slamming your credit card down on the counter, at the local music store, to purchase some insanely expensive new piece of gear for your rig.   Never mind that the interest rates are twenty-three percent and you will be forced to survive on nothing but corn chips and ramen noodles for months to come.  The important thing is that you got your grubby little hands on that new Eventide harmonizer rack that pumps out heavenly sounds to the four amps you bought last year that you are probably still paying off.

  If you suffer from GAS, it is important to make some adjustments to your overall lifestyle–especially when visiting the music store.  The following is my list of recommended techniques for handling a Gas attack.

1.   Leave your wallet and credit card at home.

  If you have to visit a music store, remember it is just to browse and drool, not to buy.  Leave your wallet back at the apartment to avoid jerking it out of your pocket during a GAS attack.

2.   Just say, “No!”

  The sales rep at the store will likely remind you that you can put up to a gazillion dollars worth of equipment on the new store credit card and finance the payments out for twelve months interest free.  There might even be another sales rep behind you whispering “You can do it.” or “Yes, you want it.” in your ear.  But, no matter how great the temptation, you can always just say, “No!” and walk away.

3.   The buddy system.

  Never go to the music store alone.  Always take someone with you that is big and strong enough to knock you out cold the moment they sense that you are about to buy another piece of gear to clutter up your room with.

4.    Dial a friend.

  Before you buy a new guitar, amp, keyboard, or whatever, make sure to call your friend and start panting heavily over the phone.  When they ask what is wrong, let them know that you are going through a GAS attack and that you would like to borrow their gear for about two or three months until the GAS attack passes.  If they are truly a friend, you know they will comply with your request.  Hopefully, they are not a musician that suffers from GAS attacks themselves.

5.    Locks and chains.

  Okay, this is not some new fetish.  But, in extreme cases, you just have to chain yourself to your bed and toss the key across the room and wait for someone to come home to set you free.  Hopefully you don’t live alone and won’t be stuck feeling really stupid for chaining yourself to the bed and tossing the key across the room.

  If all else fails, then it is simply time to seek professional help.  So, I hope this information helps you out the next time you have a GAS attack.  Now, I think it is time for me to duck out and go buy a new guitar, I’m feeling a GAS attack coming on.

What I really like about this band is that you can actually feel the distance because of how the lyrics were brought down in the mix to blend more closely with the instruments than usual on some of their tracks. Their songs sound like dark waves of depression mingled with a teasing glimpse of hope that could fade and die out at any moment. It’s like music I look forward to listening to when cuddling with my ex-girlfriend after she said it was over for the last time. It just has that sort of intimate quality to it, like you are supposed to share the listening experience with someone you know on a deeper level.

It will be interesting to see how this band chooses to grow artistically as it continues to write and release tunes. So, I highly recommend that my readers check out Matador and share the listening experience with someone close.

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