Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Chuck Deardorf - Transparence
by George Fendel, Jazz Society of Oregon
A veteran of countless recording dates, Deardord has been a Rock of Gibralter on the Seattle jazz map for decades. On this intriguing recording, he "mixes and matches" various tunes with different combinations of piano, guitar, drums, tenor and alto sax, percussionists and other participants. A few of the best known names, none of which appear on all tunes, are Bill Mays, piano, Bruce Forman, guitar, and Gary Hobbs, drums. Mays is always a... read more
Christopher Icasiano - Provinces
by Dave Segal, The Stranger
Chris Icasiano has established himself as one of the boldest musicians in Seattle's jazz and experimental-music scenes as a drummer in the Bad Luck duo with saxophonist Neil Welch. Together they've delved into free-jazz maelstroms and more nuanced and somber pieces with masterly skill.
Icasiano's debut solo album, Provinces (out today), consists of field recordings he took during a trip to the Philippines, where his ancestors lived; he's... read more
Amit Friedman - Sunrise
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
This seems to be shaping up as the year of the "Sunrise." Two outstanding sets by that name have been released in 2012: one by the Masabumi Kikuchi Trio on ECM Records, the other a self-produced gem by the Indo/American chamber ensemble, Karavika. Israeli saxophonist Amit Friedman makes it a triptych with his own Sunrise, on Seattle's Origin Records.
Friedman has a knack for memorable melodies enmeshed in sophisticated and lively... read more
Bill Anschell - Improbable Solutions
by Russell Perry, WTJU
Over the past 40 years, you could count on releases from pianist Bill Anschell (Nneena Freelon) to be acoustic piano fare ... until now. While the additional layer of sonic busy-ness didn't do anything for me, Dan McClenaghan of AllAboutJazz thought otherwise, "The results of Anschell's "out of his comfort zone" project is gratifying. He uses the electronics deftly, adding washes that sound like cool breezes wafting down the river valley, eerie... read more
Doug Beavers Orchestra - Jazz, Baby!
by George Fendel, Jazz Society of Oregon
Here is your opportunity to bring up baby on some legit jazz with a swingin' band and vocals by Matt Catingub and Linda Harmon. I have two grandkids in Philly and one on the way in L.A., and you may be sure that they'll love receive copies of this delicious disc. Included are swinging versions of kiddy tunes like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Hush Little Baby," "The Ants Go Marching In" and "You Are My Sunshine," among... read more
Ryan Shultz - Hair Dryers
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
You'd have to be a hard core jazzbo to get the significance of this but Shultz is one of the few bass trumpeters out there. And he's right here in Chicago pushing the envelope of innovation right in our backyards. With a bunch of locals backing him that locals would do well to get more familiar with, this music of big shoulders is not full of smelly onions. This crew had to spend a fair bunch of time digging the sounds of AACM and they... read more
Carlos Vega - Bird's Ticket
by Hrayr Attarian, Chicago Jazz Magazine
Saxophonist Carlos Vega's debut on Origin Records, Bird's Ticket, is a delightful set of bop-influenced compositions laced with Latin exuberance and soul-jazz nuances. Vega's quintet interprets these intriguing originals with thrilling virtuosity and unbridled spontaneity.
The title track opens with energetic, hard-swinging group refrains. Vega exhibits his full-bodied, vibrato- tinged tone as he eloquently embellishes the main... read more
Kim Richmond / Clay Jenkins Ensemble - CrossWeave
by Online review, CD Universe
For those not familiar with the Kim Richmond/Clay Jenkins Ensemble, this disc is an excellent introduction into how jazz sounds when the rhythm section is real (non-synth) and the arrangements pull the horns together in a rhythmically complex yet harmonically clean unison that has become the trademark of Kim Richmond's arrangements. "Trouble Shooter" has an almost film-noir Johnny Mandel flavor with a frenetic tension that builds through the... read more
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