Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Anthony Branker & Imagine - What Place Can Be for Us?
by Jeff Cebulski, Chicago Jazz Magazine
Black History Month gives us the opportunity to revisit and reconsider the disconcerting events that unfortunately occupy our socio-historical legacy. From Billie Holiday to Max Roach to Charles Mingus and beyond, Jazz artists have played a huge role in increasing our awareness of the nation's inequalities. Thanks to Origin Records, I discovered another such artist.
Anthony Branker is an Ivy League-educated trumpet player and composer who... read more
Corey Christiansen - Outlaw Tractor
by Carlo Wolff, JazzTimes
There's more to guitarist Corey Christiansen's third outing as a leader than can be revealed in a cursory listen. There's funk in "When You Want," a hip shuffle in the Grant Green-meets-Jimmy Smith mode; there's easygoing romanticism in "Down Time," a samba in which Christiansen explores deep sonorities as saxophonist David Halliday updates the broad-shouldered Chicago tenor style; there's oddball angularity in the title track, a jaunty workout... read more
Kelly Brand Nextet - The Door
by Brad Walseth, www.jazzchicago.net
It sometimes astounds me, when I hear local musicians whose talent is world class, and yet they are perhaps not very well known outside the boundaries of Chicago, although they should be. Case in point is pianist/composer Kelly Brand, who is known to the jazz fans of Chicago, but deserves a much wider audience based on her stellar playing and composition skills. If there is any justice in the world, her new nextet recording "The Door" will open... read more
John Stowell - Resonance
by John Henry, Audiophile Audition
Portland, Oregon-based guitarist Stowell has a super-cool approach to his instrument but with a minimum of fuss can tear up the strings with some complex improvising that seems to occur at almost the speed of light. He plays here acoustic-electric guitars made by Portland custom guitar-maker Mike Doolin, and using nylon strings. Doolin invited Stowell over to try out his latest creations and in the process taped him playing a tune on each... read more
Ray Vega & Thomas Marriott - East-West Trumpet Summit
by Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
Working the two coasts of jazz theory together, but using the Northwest as representative of modern West Coast jazz rather than the L.A. area, trumpeters Ray Vega and Thomas Marriott combine their formidable powers for good in a massive set. The two trumpeters have played together over the years, and have become stalwarts of the local scenes in their respective cities (Marriott winning numerous awards and recording numerous exceptional albums... read more
Anthony Branker & Ascent - Dance Music
by David Kane, Cadence
Composer/trumpeter/arranger Branker doesn't actually appear on [Dance Music] but his compositions do and they provide effective showcases for the talents of his band. In this instance, his talent for choosing top quality sidemen equals or surpasses his talent for composition. That's not to knock his writing which is solid and well-crafted in a Modern Mainstream mode (as all the CDs reviewed in this grouping are). As good as the tunes are... read more
Jon Hamar - Idyl Wild
by George Fendel, Jazz Society of Oregon
The versatile bassist Jon Hamar has established himself as one of Seattle?s first call bass players over the last few years. For this rather unusual session, he leads a quartet with two saxophones, bass and drums. One of the saxmen, Rich Perry, has been a formidable presence in New York for quite a while. This session marks something of a detour for Perry, in that it is more in the free-avant garde camp than his prior mainstream orientation.... read more
Jack Mouse - Range of Motion
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
Jack Mouse drives a team with Scott Robinson/woodwinds, Art Davis/tp-fh, John McLean/g and Bob Bowman or Kelly Sill/b. Mouse?s compositions have a lithe melodicism to them, with themes from ?LaPorta? or ?Hip Check? veering into solos at a whim. There is definitely a pocket for the band to groove on, but it?s about as deep as one on Karma Jeans, as McLean?s fuzzy electric guitar goes more vertical than horizontal in... read more
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