Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Tim Davies Big Band - Dialmentia
by Ric Bang, The Davis Enterprise
You don't often encounter drummers who are also composers, arrangers and producers; Tim Davies is a member of that relatively small fraternity.
He also leads a really big band that usually features (according to his web site) "a mixture of jazz, hip-hop and death metal." It's certainly all of that. The cadre includes nine reeds, eight trumpets, four trombones, two guitarists, two bassists, two keyboardists - I assume these pairs split duties... read more
Darren Johnston - Life in Time
by Georges Tonla Briquet, Jazz'halo (Belgium)
Trumpeter Darren Johnston likes variety and challenges. He recorded with both Fred Frith and Marcus Shelby while traveling to Chicago for 'Life In Time' to form a quartet with Geof Bradfield (tenor & soprano saxophones, bass clarinet), Clark Sommers (bass) and Dana Hall (drums) .
They only bring their own songs completely soaked in a narrative tradition and then frame them in an updated version of post bop. Certainly also for fans of Rob... read more
John Bishop - Antwerp
by Dorothea Gangel, Jazz'N'More (Switzerland)
4-STARS The drummer John Bishop can look back on a decades-long musical career that was characterized by membership in trios, as when he recorded the album "Antwerp" with pianist Bram Weijters and bassist Piet Verbist, both Flemish. On his last trip to Antwerp, the idea arose to musically express their friendship and shared enthusiasm for this Belgian city as a trio. The sound on the new album is also characterized by mutual admiration... read more
Tom Rizzo - Day and Night
by Robert Rusch, Cadence
Guitarist TOM RIZZO's NIGHT AND DAY [origin 82733] presents a combination of small band [Nick Lane-tbn/arr; John Dickson-fr hn; Bob Summers-tpt; Bob Sheppard-ts; Jeff Driskill-ss; Doug Tornquist-tuba] and quartet [Dennis Hamm-p, David Hughes-b, Steve Schaeffer-drm] groupings which goes down very smoothly. The horns are mainly used as coloring but the main focus/sense is a guitar-led quartet. Of the 11 tracks [57:44], 3 of them are Rizzo... read more
George Colligan & Theoretical Planets - Risky Notion
by Ken Micallef, Downbeat
Finally, what with everyone thinking they're as smart as their drummer, some want to become the drummer, as heard on pianist George Colligan & Theoretical Planets' Risky Notion. As Colligan tells it, after recording his 25th album, it was "time for something drastically different." But can Colligan play? Well, can Jack DeJohnette play the piano? Can Chick Corea play the drums? Like these masters, Colligan acquits himself nicely in warm,... read more
Greta Matassa - Favorites From A Long Walk
by George Fendel, Jazz Scene
If you missed the recent Vocal Madness gig at the Benson Hotel, here is your chance to get acquainted with Greta Matassa, a Seattle-based singer who wowed the crowd on that occasion. She gets to the heart of a song, expressing the lyric with great feeling, but never indulging in show-biz shtick. For this album, Metassa chooses 13 tunes, most of which, while familiar, are welcome, lesser known gems. Her pianist, Darin Clendenin, is especially... read more
John Moulder - Bifrost
by Brad Walseth, jazzChicago.net
The burning rainbow and Norse bridge to the afterlife - "Bifrost" is an especially apt title for guitarist John Moulder's new release given the musician's spiritual nature (he is, after all, a Catholic priest) and also due to the fact that Norweigian musicians Arild Andersen (acoustic bass) and Bendik Hofseth (tenor sax) play prominent roles. Andersen is well known for his work beginning with Jan Garabeck in the 1960s and as a leading light in... read more
Laurie Antonioli and Richie Beirach - Varuna
by Andrew Gilbert, Daily Democrat News (Sacramento)
Best of 2015: Bay Area Jazz - Laurie Antonioli leads one of the better bands in the Bay Area, but for her gorgeous album "Varuna" (Origin), she reunites with the great American pianist Richie Beirach (who's been based in Germany since 2000). They're joined by bassist Pepe Berns on four of the album's 13 tracks, but working as a duo they spin gossamer spells out of standards like "Summer Night," the bossa nova "Gentle Rain" and... read more
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