Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Don Lanphere with New Stories - Home At Last
by Ben Ohmart, Muses Muse
This cd is getting hot in my computer drive. It's been spinning for the last five hours. That's because this is the sort of jazz that was made for minds like mine. First off, it's over an hour in length, and the long 10 tracks spin with a constant, but smooth buzz that speaks always at night. But more importantly, the mindset of contemporary, straight forward, mainstream jazz is ever present. None of this artistic, ground breaking trial by... read more
Hadley Caliman - Straight Ahead
by Bill Milkowski, JazzTimes
Veteran tenor saxophonist Hadley Caliman?he was on the Central Avenue scene in Los Angeles during the '50s?teams with golden-toned trumpeter Thomas Marriott on the frontline for this inspired outing. Flaunting a beautiful, burnished tone and remarkable fluidity on his horn, Caliman sails through his "Cigar Eddie," Harold Land's "Rapture" and Lee Morgan's Latin-flavored "Totem Pole" with confidence and old-school swagger. And he acquits himself... read more
Chad McCullough & Bram Weijters - Imaginary Sketches
by George Fendel, Jazz Society of Oregon
Seattle's Origin Records has become known as a label specializing in original music. Sometimes the concept falls flat, but frequently it works quite well. Almost all the tunes here are by members of the quartet. What it ultimately seems to come down to is that McCullough is a scintillating player and an authoritative presence on trumpet and flugelhorn. His colleagues - Bram Weijters, piano; Chuck Deardorf, bass; and John Bishop, drums - provide... read more
David Friesen with Orchestra and Quartet - Testimony
by Paul de Barros, DownBeat
When David Friesen accompanied reed man Paul Horn on his historic 1983 tour to the Soviet Union, the eclectic Portland bassist was thrilled the trip might take him to what was then the Soviet Socialist Republic of Ukraine. Friesen's mother was raised in Smila, 18 miles west of Ukraine's Dnieper River, now a battle-torn front in the Russian war.
"A film crew was going to take us to Smila," Friesen recalled, "but the week before we left, they... read more
Gary Hobbs - Of My Times
by Lynn Darroch, Oregonian
In the course of a year, drummer and composer Gary Hobbs cycles through multiple musical personalities. Big band drummer, clinician for high schools and colleges, sideman with a variety of groups and a leader of his own, Hobbs goes from straight-ahead and swing to funk and fusion.
That taste for variety is evident on his latest CD, "Of My Times."
Within the variety, though, we hear a composer and arranger in love with the rhythmic... read more
Clay Giberson - Pastures
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
Pianist and keyboard player Clay Giberson brings together Donny McCaslin/ts-fl-ss, Drew Gress/b and Matt Wilson/dr for a mix and match of originals and standards. His classical technique comes through on a fun piece with McCaslin's tenor on "Solfeggio, " and while team gets fun and kinetic on "Song For Ornette," but the treat here is when a string quartet comes in for some extra textures, as the leader brings back the spirit of Bach on "Simple... read more
John Wojciechowski - Focus
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
Chicago has it's own brand of skronk and this set with a a stellar Chicago crew in tow might not sound like Sonny Rollins playing under a bridge but he certainly knows how to deliver the goods. Using mainstream jazz as a starting point rather than a destination, he marshals his chops to bring listeners into the tent and keep them on board. A tasty collective effort that hits all the right notes with loads of daddio and modern in the mix, Wojo... read more
Chris Walden Big Band & The St. John's Choir - Kurt Marti Suite
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz.com
It's hard to wrap one's arms around this CD by composer/arranger Chris Walden. On the one hand, Walden has coupled his intrepid ensemble of talented southern California sidemen with the 100-member St. John's Choir from Hamburg, Germany (his hometown), to set to music works by the renowned Swiss poet/lyricist Kurt Marti. On the other, the playing time is only 36:55?less than half a disc's worth?and that includes a five-minutes-plus "bonus" track,... read more
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