Origin Records Reviews

Bobby Broom - Bobby Broom Plays for Monk
by Chris M. Slawecki, All About Jazz

"In many ways, Monk personifies all that attracted and continues to satisfy me in my love affair with jazz music," said Bobby Broom upon releasing Plays for Monk. "The way that he, the musician, fit into the jazz landscape while at the same time standing out and apart from it; the controlled but unpredictable creative freedom he spoke with as an improviser, and the variety of feelings he could conjure up; how, as a composer, his tunes were a... read more

Peter Lerner - Continuation
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record

How about some real Chicago jazz? Ace guitar man Lerner spent two years whipping this crew into shape so her could craft a band date tipping the cap to his mentor, piano man Willie Pickens, who is part of the band. It's fully Chicago jazz with a modern edge played by a crew that's really on board. Mostly originals with Miles nephew at the wheel, there's plenty here to perk up the most jaded ears. A smashing set that really knows hot to... read more

Hal Galper - E Pluribus Unum - Live in Seattle
by Ken Dryden, All Music Guide

Hal Galper's working trio with bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer John Bishop has broken free of the typical expectations of a piano trio. Recorded over two days at the 2009 Earshot Jazz Festival in Seattle, Galper challenges the crowd to join them in their explorations. The pianist's wonderfully abstract approach to the venerable standard "How Deep Is the Ocean" avoids stating the melody outright and doesn't allow the listener to get used to... read more

Jeff Johnson - The Art of Falling
by , Cadance Magazine, September 2001

I've listened to this CD five or six times, enjoying the music more & more each time, but finding it difficult to say just what makes this a special album. It could be the intriguing combination of Billy Mintz' economical style on the drum kit coupled with Jeff Johnson's animated bass parts. Then there's the ease with which pianist Randy Porter anticipates and feeds the solos by throaty tenor saxophonist Hans Teuber. Or maybe it's the way every... read more

Ark Ovrutski - Intersection
by Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz

4 1/2 STARS Ukrainian bassist Ark Ovrutski arrived on American soil just over a decade ago, and he's been rather busy ever since. A nonstop go-getter from his earliest days, Ovrutski immediately made the most out of that move, steadily working his way into the ultra-competitive New York jazz scene and seeking out opportunities to further his playing and knowledge in formal academic settings and informal environments. Now, with a full gigging... read more

John Moulder - Earthborn Tales of Soul and Spirit
by Neil Tesser, Jazziz

Chicago guitarist John Moulder has proven himself as versatile as he is virtuosic. He's served as producer on a handful of his own albums, and each has a strikingly different theme, purpose and array of musicians. Despite that, Moulder almost always inclines toward big picture concepts — something you could reasonably expect, given that he's spent much of his career holding a "day gig" as a Catholic minister.

Earthbound Tales of Soul... read more

James Moody - 80 Years Young: Live at the Blue Note, March 26, 2005
by John Murph, DownBeat

To commemorate jazz legend James Moody's centennial birthday celebration, Origin Records releases the sanguine James Moody: 80 Years Young-Live At The Blue Note. The album captures both a March 2005 birthday party and a victory lap for Moody as he fronts a stellar and rotating cast of musicians that includes trombonist Slide Hampton, pianist Cedar Walton and alto saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera. The vibes are as relaxed... read more

Bobby Broom - The Way I Play: Live In Chicago
by Arnaldo DeSouteiro, Jazz Station

As a major jazz guitarist, Bobby Broom has for many years been hiding in plain sight. Following his Carnegie Hall debut at age 16 with Sonny Rollins, and his first album as a leader at 20, Broom recorded and toured steadily as a valued sideman with artists such as Stanley Turrentine, Kenny Burrell, Dr. John, Charles Earland, and Rollins (whom he rejoined in 2005).

Since the mid-1990s, however, Broom has been focusing much more on his own... read more

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