Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Hal Galper - E Pluribus Unum - Live in Seattle
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
Pianist Hal Galper began his journey into "rubato" playing early on in the new millennium, after a quite vibrant career in the mainstream, playing and recording with the likes of all-star alto saxophonists Phil Woods and Cannonball Adderley, legendary trumpeter Chet Baker and guitarist John Scofield. It hasn't always been a smooth ride. At a show with guitarist John Stowell at Carlsbad, California's Museum of Making Music back in 2007, drawing a... read more
Thomas Marriott - Urban Folklore
by Ric Bang, Jazz Scan
Origin Records and trumpeter Thomas Marriott are among this blog's "old friends"; both were featured in some of my earliest reviews. If you scan through the site's listing you'll find 7 CDs where they're featured together. Origin was among the first of the "new breed" jazz labels founded in the very late 20th century, and Marriott was - and still is - a frequent leader or sideman on the company's albums.
Marriott is a West Coast artist,... read more
Piet Verbist Zygomatik - Cattitude
by Erno Elsinga, Jazzenzo (Dutch)
In the Netherlands, the Belgian musician Piet Verbist especially as the former bassist of the Jef Neve Trio. Domestically Verbist counts as an old warhorse who has played and recorded with numerous international musicians and he records for the American Origin Records label.
From his debut Zygomatik from 2012 to the controversial compositions on "Cattitude," Verbist makes a leap forward. The rhythmic accompaniment under the powerful mix of... read more
Chris Walden Big Band - No Bounds
by Tony Augarde, MusicWeb International
Too many big band recordings sound the same, using hackneyed techniques and voicings. But this album sounds different right from the very start ñ an imaginative arrangement of David Foster's Winter Games. The ensemble sound is a knockout, possibly because Chris Walden uses six trumpets and five trombones, creating a rich and rare depth to the music.
The solos in between the ensembles are more conventional but all skilfully played,... read more
Dan Dean - Songs Without Words
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
Recording on Mercer Island and giving the first special thanks credit to Nancy Rumbel - do you think this is going to be your usual egghead classical date? The protean bass player surrounds himself with his ax and his voice and a mic taking warhorse repertoire to places you'd never imagine. Deciding to do it for himself this time around, the unquestionable bass ace takes it to church and everyplace else in the course of this sterling recital.... read more
Clipper Anderson - The Road Home
by Jon Ross, Downbeat Magazine
4-stars****
A travel theme runs through the tunes on "The Road Home," most of which progress at a fast pace, anchored by Clipper Anderson's light, bouncy improvisations. This Northwest-based bassist's stellar debut as a solo artist covers a lot of ground, from Bill Evans' heady, complex "Twelve-Tone Tune Two" to the Portugese original "Esperancoso Destino" and soaring ballads like the title track, which was inspred by a stretch of... read more
Bob Sneider & Joe Locke - Nocturne for Ava
by Mike Stratton, mikestratton.com
This is one of those CDs that I haven't been able to remove from my player since I first put it in. Trumpeter Sneider and vibist Locke have latched onto a concept of celebrating the music of noir; think black and white detective movies from the 50s, or doomed romance, murder, shadow, attitude. If this kind of stuff floats your boat, this is a must have CD. The album opens with Last Tango In Paris, a composition that immediately evokes the... read more
Scenes - Silent Photographer
by George Fendel, Jazz Society of Oregon
Portland guitarist Stowell has been performing and recording with Seattlites Jeff Johnson and John Bishop for some ten years now. Like any recipe worth waiting for, the time has been worth it, as this threesome communicate and anticipate one another with ease and symmetry. Cadence magazine calls this trait "an enviable tightness," and it's easy to sense in this talented threesome. Of the 10 selections here, most are the original compositions of... read more
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