Big-band jazz arrangers are looking to cover new ground while occasionally saluting earlier icons. Drummer Tim Davies contributed the arrangements and seven originals for his debut Origin CD. Davies' writing for the brass and reeds in his setting of Gabriel Fauré's "Elegy" is first-rate, also showcasing Andrew Shulman's cello, and bass clarinetist Jennifer Hall. His take on the Duke Ellington staple "Caravan" (re-christened as "Caravan... read more
4 1/2 STARS The trio recordings released by pianist Hal Galper between 2006 and 2014 - six discs, all but one on Origin Records—plowed fresh ground. Each disc dug deeply into the "Rubato" form. Taken as a whole - from 2006's Agents Of Change (Fabola Records) through 2014's O's Time (Origin Records) - the full series represents a monumental, sharply focused project that, for those who listened, redefined the piano trio.
Live At... read more
4 1/2-STARS The Jim Knapp Orchestra's CD It's Not Business, It's Personal, recorded in February 2009, was set to be released on November 19, 2021—six days after Knapp died at age eighty-two in Kirkland, Washington. Apart from his role as bandleader, Knapp was a trumpeter, composer, arranger and longtime faculty member at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. Described by Grammy-winning composer/pianist Jim McNeely as "a brilliant... read more
In the early eighties, when we were both teaching in the English department of Tufts University, Detroit-born poet Philip Levine and I became friends. We shared some things: basic literacy, a Michigan background (I had lived in Ann Arbor for four years and he was raised in Detroit), and a love of jazz. I would make tapes for him. (He particularly appreciated the ninety minutes of Clifford Brown I assembled for him.) He would give me signed... read more
Some singers just have a special knack for being interpreters, and interpret she does with a wide range of material from various, disparate sources. Producer Matt Pierson doesn't seem to be missing his major label days as he assembles a killer crew of pros all single mindedly purposed to bringing out the best in Tucker. With her purring, sultry vocals dripping with suggestion, she ties it all together with her international appetites and audio... read more
At a glance, this project has eight pliable originals plus the contributors has fourteen albums among them as leaders and sidemen. Human Spirit is the title from a previous album by trumpeter/composer Thomas Marriott, along with his cohorts Mark Taylor and Matt Jorgensen serve up an engaging brew of bop-influenced modern jazz also features two guest performers Orrin Evans and Essiet Essiet round out the quintet on their latest "Live at the... read more
Saxophonist and composer Jim Gailloreto is known for his inventive genre fusions. The nine-piece suite The Pythiad is no exception. Inspired by lesser-known heroes of Greek mythology, it features vocalist Cheryl Wilson's charismatic singing and Coleman Gailloreto's intriguing poetry. The lyrics are a mix of couplets and free verse, and are a superb match for the sparse and haunting music.
For instance, the tense and angular "Deucalion and... read more
A real beauty! A nice bit of modern jazz that manages to adhere to the form without ever really trying to reach it in conventional fashion. It flirts with the avant-garde while still maintaining a solid sense of groove and melody. Trumpeter Josh D. Reed had a gorgeous tone with the flow of Freddie Hubbard. Peter Epstein's sax is the ideal foil as it weaves in and out of the melody. Adam Benjamin's keyboards are steady rhythmically and highly... read more
This is just a small collection of the Origin Records reviews. Click here to view all reviews or try to Search for your favorite CD title.
Peter Erskine & The JAM Music Lab All-Stars - Vienna to Hollywood: Impressions of E.W. Korngold & Max Steiner
by Bill Milkowski, DownBeat
David Friesen - A Light Shining Through
by Rick Anderson, CD Hotlist - New Releases for Libraries
Michael Dease - Found in Space: The Music of Gregg Hill
by MICHAEL STĂśRM, Jazz Podium (Germany)
Peter Erskine & The JAM Music Lab All-Stars - Vienna to Hollywood: Impressions of E.W. Korngold & Max Steiner
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
Brad Goode - Polytonal Big Band: The Snake Charmer
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
Peter Erskine & The JAM Music Lab All-Stars - Vienna to Hollywood: Impressions of E.W. Korngold & Max Steiner
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Karrin Allyson - A Kiss for Brazil
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
John La Barbera Big Band - Grooveyard
by Ruud Jonker, FWD Magazine (Netherlands)
Brad Goode - Polytonal Big Band: The Snake Charmer
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Ben Patterson Jazz Orchestra - Groove Junkies
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect