Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Scenes - Along the Way
by John Kelman, All About Jazz
It's easier to impress listeners with virtuosity than subtlety and nuance, but thankfully there are those who take the road less traveled. Along the Way, the second release by Scenes, is the result of three musicians being comfortable in their own skins and having nothing to prove. The vibe may be relaxed and the delivery spacious, but this music proves that one should never mistake comfort for complacency.
Guitarist John Stowell has had a... read more
Hal Galper - Live at the Berlin Philharmonic, 1977
by Herb Boyd, Downbeat
5-STARS "Live" is the operative word of Hal Galper Quintet's Live At The Berlin Philharmonic, 1977. No matter what track you choose, the results are the same—exhilarating. Pianist Galper's dazzling runs are often complemented by his punchy pointillism, and this is particularly engrossing on "I'll Never Stop Loving You." Galper alone is stunning enough, but add Michael and Randy Brecker and you have the coup de grace; the... read more
Bob Sneider & Joe Locke - Nocturne for Ava
by George Kanzler, All About Jazz New York
The versatility of vibraphonist Joe Locke comes to the fore here, one album moody with intricately arranged, programmatic/impressionistic music, the other a loose quartet date emphasizing solos as much as tunes.
There's a mid-20th Century feel to Nocturne for Ava, evoking that time when melodic jazz found its way into TV show themes and movie soundtracks. It also uses instrumentation - augmented in places by horns - made popular by the... read more
Dana Hall - Into the Light
by Tom Ineck, Berman Music Foundation
My introduction to drummer Dana Hall was his March 2009 appearance as guest soloist with the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra. The concert's advance publicity touted his degree in aerospace engineering, music composition and music arranging, an impressive resume that left me wondering if he was just another academic who dabbled in jazz.
His performance that night and his debut recording as a leader, "Into the Light," leave no room for doubt. Hall has... read more
Michael Zilber - East West: Music for Big Bands
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
After earning high praise from Dave Liebman, Zilber redefines what ambition and drive mean by coming forth with a twofer that features a bicoastal recording in which the sax man pulls out all the stops in arranging for big band. Highlighting what makes each coast special rather than pitting them against each other, this is a modern monster of a set where the blowing is unbridled and uncontained fiercely sending a joyful noise up through he... read more
Michael Dease - The Other Shoe: The Music of Gregg Hill
by Ted Panken, All About Jazz
ALBUM LINER NOTES by Ted Panken:
"Think of any big city," Greg Hill says, introducing the narrative armature of his composition, "The Other Shoe," the denouement and title track of this stimulating collaboration with Michael Dease, who arranged each of Hill's 10 compositions contained herein. "It's 2 in the morning, you're still awake, and your neighbor comes in upstairs. You hear the first clunk when his shoe hits the floor. Then you... read more
Anthony Branker & Ascent - Blessings
by Ron Bierman, JazzReview.com
The musicians who have the greatest-longer term impact are the ones who have something new to say. But they are also usually harder to appreciate at first, because they're playing something we're not used to hearing. And so it will be for many who audition the compositions of Anthony Branker performed by Ascent, a jazz collective established to play his music.
The songs and arrangements not so much. They struck me as overly simple vehicles... read more
Pharez Whitted - For the People
by Ken Dryden, All Music
Chicago native Pharez Whitted may not have garnered the attention of New York-based trumpeters, but he has built an impressive career over several decades. For the People features his working band (saxophonist Eddie Bayard, guitarist Bobby Broom, pianist Ron Perrillo, bassist Dennis Carroll, and drummer Greg Artry), playing his compositions. "Watusi Boogaloo" is a perfect opener, as Whitted develops a hip groove and features the entire band.... read more
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