Origin Records Reviews



Jim Knapp & Scrape - Approaching Vyones
by C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz

Twenty-first Century Orchestral Music. For a string orchestra named Scrape, this music is quite well behaved and well- integrated. Approaching Vyones is composed of ten short pieces, each independent of the other, yet melding well as a whole. Guitarist Bill Frisell contributes one piece, "Naomi" to the collection, while the remainder of the selections are Jim Knapp compositions. Traces of Barber and Piston can be heard among the... read more

Randy Halberstadt - Open Heart
by Dave Rogers, WTJU

Pianist/composer/teacher Randy Halberstadt offers his sixth release as a leader. He composed six of the nine songs on offer and each cover was written by Frederic Chopin, George Gershwin or Henry Mancini. The backing musicians include Chuck Deardorf (bass), Adam Kessler (drums), Ben Thomas (vibes), Jay Thomas (trumpet, flugelhorn, soprano sax), Mark Taylor (alto sax) and David Marriott, Jr (trombone). The music flows and is beautifully rhythmic.... read more

Hadley Caliman - Straight Ahead
by David Franklin, Cadence

Hadley Caliman recorded with the likes of Gerald Wilson, Don Ellis, and Mongo Santamaria in the 1960s and with such folks as Hampton Hawes, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, and a raft of other Jazz and Pop stars, as well as his own groups, in the ?70s. But the 78-year-old tenorist did not make another record until his return to the studio for a CD under his own name in late 2007. Gratitude was well-received with Straight Ahead... read more

Tom Collier - Impulsive Illuminations
by Hobart Taylor, KUCI - Irvine, CA

Not for the inattentive listener, this deeply engrossing music composed by vibraphone/marimba player Collier treads the ground of "pure", non-generic music. This music could be at home in a symphonic concert hall, a jazz night club, an electronic music seminar, or a Zen Center. Collier and his renowned colleagues, (Bill Frisell, guitar, Cuong Vu, trumpet, etc) stay gloriously true to their abstractions and improvisations.... read more

Doug Miller - Regeneration
by Peter Monaghan, Earshot Jazz

Here's what I'd do: Get your family members, relatives, and friends to write up and send you their lists of What I Want for the Holidays.Tear the lists up; delete the text messages or emails; buy each person one of these new or recent Northwest jazz albums instead.

In this era of fiscal restraint, one CD per person is gift enough. Let's get real.

Fortunately outstanding disks abound this year, thanks to the combined talents of some of the... read more

John Stowell and Dave Liebman - Blue Rose
by Dave Sumner, emusic

Jazz Picks of the Week - A relaxed conversation between two jazz veterans at the top levels of their respective instruments. Guitarist Stowell and saxophonist Liebman find simple ways to express their expansive lexicon, and raise the intensity without shattering the resultant peaceful... read more

Cuong Vu - Leaps of Faith
by Peter Margasak, Downbeat Magazine

★★★★

Trumpeter Cuong Vu moved back to his native Seattle in 2006 to teach, but five years later he's still working with the members of his long-running New York trio, drummer Ted Poor and electric bassist Stomu Takeishi. But on Leaps Of Faith, a gorgeous live recording made in Seattle in April 2010, he brings in second electric bassist Luke Bergman?a former University of Washington student of his who's now a regular... read more

Michael Dease - Found in Space: The Music of Gregg Hill
by Michael van Gee, Jazz'N'More (Switzerland)

5-STARS Trombonist and baritone saxophonist Michael Dease (*1982) was last featured in JNM 05/23 on his album "Soft Shoe." Now he follows up with "Found In Space," in which he once again presents the highly sophisticated compositions of 78-year-old Gregg Hill, who has been honored musically on many albums in recent years. For his album, Michael Dease has assembled an eleven-piece ensemble with seven exquisite wind instruments and a... read more

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