Contemporary jazz punctuated with rock, blues, reggae and classical suggestions.

7 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Contemporary Jazz, JAZZ: Jazz-Rock

Show all album songs: Origins Songs


Details:
Bio-
Audric Jankauskas has many accomplishments that are note worthy. He received recognition in Guitar Player magazine as a "very impressive, over-the-top fusion guitar player". One of his original compositions, titled Inner Force, was chosen to be included in the prestigious Philadelphia Jazz Showcase CD Compilation released by the nationally recognized WRTI radio station. He was a featured guest on "Bob Miles World of Guitars", a cable TV show known for featuring some of the world's greatest guitarists, which also is the only show like it in the world. Jankauskas's guitar work can be heard throughout Philly Flash, an independent motion picture released by Impulse Entertainment.

Several compositions on âOriginsâ are collaborations between Audric Jankauskas and PatRobinson.

Patrick Robinson has written and produced music for several independent films, award winning documentaries, and commercials. He has produced, engineered, and/or performed on dozens of records including several charting on Billboard. He has also performed live onstage with the Classics Four, Gilby Clark (of Guns and Roses), and Renegade.

Personal Liner Notes-
My goal was to create a contemporary-jazz/fusion style CD that exhibits sophisticated creativity and high level musicianship. And, I also wanted all the tunes to be able to stand on their own merit compositionally, without getting too complex. I've always felt that a tune really isn't a tune unless it has that special melody that the listener can't get out of their head. I've found that a lot more people can relate to and enjoy original music, with these criteria in mind, especially when the music is within the realm of instrumental jazz.

As it turned out, each track sounds off with it's own unique character. Listening to each tune as the "Origins" playlist progresses is like opening a new chapter filled with unexpected surprises in a good book. Yet it all ties together with tasteful solo sections and musical interaction that is the signature sound of the four musicians.

The members of the "Origins" project had already created a stylistically similar CD in 1996 titled "OuterLimits", which seemed to really become a favorite for many listeners. So this new CD titled "Origins" is naturally bound to become a remarkable sequel.

The very first track titled "Taree Ali" was written by Pat Robinson. I remember the very first moment he presented this piece to me, I got excited as I knew his tune potentially could be a great tune to be added to the "Origins" CD project! A year later as I juggled around the order of tunes for the CD playlist, I made the decision to make it the opening track. It really kicks off the playlist in an exciting, uplifting, and inviting way with it's fast tempo 5/4 feel.

Second in the playlist is a more intense piece as the title "Extreme Seventeen" suggests. This is a unique fusion style tune I recently composed (2005). The funky 17/8 groove took me some time to get comfortable soloing over, as the downbeat always seems to be late until it's mastered!

Next are three distinctively different tunes developed in the same unique fashion as several tracks found on "OuterLimits". This particular quartet loves to hook up for open-ended jam sessions whenever possible. And... something good always comes out of it! The tunes "Serendipitous", "The Time That Was", and "Toot Uncommon", are all the end results of spontaneous improvised on-the-spot composing, that fortunately was captured while recording recent jam sessions.

The intuitive and creative forces of all four musicians are revealed while listening back to the carefree jam session recordings. Very often Glenn and Paul would be locking in on a fresh idea with the bass and drums, and moments later Pat and myself spontaneously created harmonic and melodic ideas that ultimately became the cornerstones of these tunes.

There seems to be a special beauty about musical ideas that originate as musicians float in the zone of free expression, especially when all the elements connect. That in turn seems to connect with the listener, which is why I feel these tunes add a special dimension to the CD as a whole.

"Brisas Alegra" is a revamp of an earlier recording of the same tune formerly known as "Barbados Dance" found on my CD titled "Sponge". The composition reveals the influences of listening to, and very much admiring the artistry of Carlos Jobin. Paul Deck juxtaposes the bossa rhythm of my guitar chords with a straight rock beat on the drums, which creates an unusual rhythmic interaction. The solo section takes off into a distinctly different harmonic feel as it shifts from the head's minor mode to the solo section's major mode.

Finally, the CD title track. "Origins", is a composition that has waited patiently for well over 20 years to be recorded! What can I say?... better late than never! I guess the right timing with the right musicians is what it needed to become reality. Anyway, this tune holds many elements that evoke memories of countless different jazz/fusion artists from the past that have had a significant influence on all the members of the band.

Thanks to Pat, Glenn, and Paul for making this CD come together!
Audric Jankauskas