Springing from a series of performances in Eugene, Oregon's art gallery walks, Now...Here...This is a studio recording attempting to mimic the dynamic of the live performances, minus the surrounding noise. The session was as a result unrehearsed and had no post-production. It's a very clean, very spontaneous sound. Mike Denny has a warm tone on the guitar throughout, which meshes well with Rick Mandyck's sax work (recorded not long before he... read more
In his second of two volumes celebrating the collaborative work between the inimitable American Poet Laureate Philip Levine and Benjamin Boone the improvisational language of Jazz continues its dancing, prancing relationship with free verse. More alluring is, of course, the fact that Mr Levine recites his work while Mr Boone plays empathetically along with the recitatives. Often his high and lonesome soprano saxophone lines entwines with the... read more
A schooled musician, graduating from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Scott Burns spent a good portion of his early career in the Cincinnati/Dayton, Ohio area, learning his craft. In 1998, he moved to Chicago, a natural and ideal location for some of the best jazz artists in the world, who can be found in Chicago dating back to nearly the beginning of the jazz age.
Scott has done what all the best artists in jazz... read more
German-born, Los Angeles-based composer/arranger/flugelhornist Chris Walden looks way too young to be this good at a task as daunting as big band writing. He looks almost too young to be sitting in with the band, though he is pushing the ripe old age of forty. But he started early at the art, writing big band arrangements while he was still in high school, and later putting together the charts for the Frankfurt Radio Big Band and the RIAS Big... read more
Nothing unflattering can be said about Chicago-born and -based guitarist Peter Lerner's latest album, Continuation. The energy level is high, the charts admirable, the supporting cast exemplary. On the other hand, it would be hard to separate the enterprise from a veritable sea of rivals that dwell in a comparable groove. As there is nothing explicit with which to censure this earnest studio session, neither is there anything special to... read more
Number Two:
Friedman's blend of Jazz and Middle-East music has had me enthusiastic all year long. An album that often soars, but doesn't forget to swing. This is the kind of joyful music that defines Jazz as something special. Many Jazz albums have a joyful sound, but rarely one as inspiring as Sunrise. It still hits me right square in the heart. I originally wrote that it was an album I wanted to shout from the rooftops and... read more
The Antwerp bassist Piet Verbist has played a pivotal role in the Belgian jazz scene, and this 5th album on the Origin label has him aligning with Hendrik Braeckman on guitar and Lionel Beuvens behind the drum kit for a listen full of intimate and moody originals.
"The Other Side" opens the listen with a very stylish and upbeat display of bouncy bass, intricate guitar and frisky drums populating the lively jazz climate, and "A Noble Trice"... read more
For his sophomore effort with the Chicago-based HAWK string quartet in tow, Jim Gailloreto's skill in composition and arrangement for a string quartet has increased notably. Instead of forcing the quartet into a gypsy-jazz romp, Gailloreto keeps the players in their comfort zone -- free from improvisation, and showcasing technical mastery and careful collaboration without sacrificing an austerity of sorts. Over the top of the quartet, though,... 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.
Andrea Brachfeld & Insight - Evolution
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
Jordan VanHemert - Nomad
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
Piet Verbist - Secret Exit to Another Dimension
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Piet Verbist - Secret Exit to Another Dimension
by JEAN-CLAUDE VANTROYEN, Le Soir (Belgium)
Doug Scarborough - The Color of Angels
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Ben Thomas Tango Project - Eternal Aporia
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Xose Miguélez - Contradictio
by Pepe Cunha , Abrete de Orellas (Spain)
Xose Miguélez - Contradictio
by Candido Querol , B!ritmos (Spain)
Piet Verbist - Secret Exit to Another Dimension
by Bernard Lefèvre, Jazz'halo (Belgium)
Ben Thomas Tango Project - Eternal Aporia
by Georges Tonla Briquet, Jazz'halo (Belgium)