Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Jessica Williams - The Art of the Piano
by Doug Ramsey, Rifftides
Williams' 2800-word liner essay declares renewed and deepened love for the piano and rededicated independence from the strictures and orthodoxies of the music establishment. She cites an internet video clip of Glenn Gould playing Bach as "...a life-altering event" that took her back to "...a music founded on the purity and clarity and infinite tonal colorations of the piano itself." Those are qualities I have never found missing from her work,... read more
Benjamin Boone | Philip Levine - The Poetry of Jazz, Vol. 2
by Dave Rogers, WTJU
This collection is basically a melange of original poetry and narration by Philip Levine and compositions by Benjamin Boone (alto, soprano sax) on 12 of the 18 performances, with the remainder composed by various members of the players. The musicians include David Aus (piano), with the addition of Craig Von Berg on piano on six songs), Spee Kosloff or Nye Morton (bass), Brian Hamada or Gary Newmark (drums), with guests Karen Margot (vocals, 2... read more
Marc Bernstein & Good People - Hymn For Life
by Dave Sumner, emusic Review
Bernstein is intoxicatingly lyrical on woodwinds, and that he often switches between the sweet disposition of soprano sax and the soulful irreverence of bass clarinet often within the span of an album just makes the synthesis of sounds even more delectable. On this current release, he adds Jacob Anderkov on piano, Jonas Westergaard on bass, Rakalam Bob Moses on drums, and the vocals of Sinne Eeg. Beautiful moody music that crackles with life.... read more
Florian Hoefner - Coldwater Stories
by Hobart Taylor, KUCI - Irvine, CA
Some artists set off on their own journeys returning every so often to share with us what they have found both in the world and within themselves. Pianist Hoefner is such an artist. Currently based in St. John's Newfoundland Canada, his newest release describes the world around him in a place that is fog drenched, chilly, and quiet. Like Keith Jarrett, moods unfold wavelike in serial formations that circle back to reflections of profound inner... read more
Ben Patterson Jazz Orchestra - Groove Junkies
by Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz
4-STARS Groove junkies searching for a fix need look no further. Mainlining this music—a hard-hitting big band set that satisfies as it soars—offers a serious high. With a pen and mind untrammeled by norms and expectations, and a tight crew of musical compatriots bringing stentorian sound and vision to his book, trombonist-composer Ben Patterson delivers the goods and then some.
Patterson's positively electric take on saxophonist... read more
Bill Anschell - Improbable Solutions
by Andy Harrison, Arts Axis Florida
The Pacific Northwest has become something of a hotbed for great new jazz music in recent years, with the region producing forward-thinking artists and records at a seemingly improbable rate. Bill Anschell, one of the most talented pianists working in today's scene and a Seattle native, was not someone known to rock the boat: previous albums such as Rumbler and Blueprints operated within the existing bounds of mainstream... read more
Jordan VanHemert - Survival of the Fittest
by Scott Yanow, Los Angeles Jazz Scene
Tenor saxophonist Jordan VanHemert's fifth album as a leader, Survival Of The Fittest, was partly borne out of anger and distress after losing a teaching job due to budget cuts (he has since found one at a different college) and his experiences with racism in general. Despite that, the music on this release (five originals, "Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise," "Come Sunday," a Korean folk song, and a blues) is generally hopeful,... read more
Upper Left Trio - Ulternative
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
Portland, Oregon's Upper Left Trio has been together nearly a decade. The group began its recording journey on Origin Records in 2003 with Cycling. Ulternative is the trio's fourth recording for the label, and continues to push its music forward.
The piano trio has, since pianist Bill Evans' late 1950s/early 1960s recordings with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian, ridden the three-way interaction approach rather than the earlier... read more
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