Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Florian Hoefner - Coldwater Stories
by Dave Sumner, Bird is the Worm
Florian Hoefner knows how to work a melody. His 2012 release Songs Without Words was one of the very best things to get released that year, and it was in no small part a result of the pianist's vibrant display of melodicism. Two releases since then did nothing to diminish that reputation.
This 2016 performance at the Bremen, Germany venue Sendesaal provides the opportunity to hear that melodic talent unfold in a solo setting. Live and all... read more
Milan Verbist Trio - Time Change
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Time Change, from the Milan Verbist Trio and it's a solid set of tracks from introspect to lively. Opening with title track, Time Change, a somber yet insightful composition with Milan Verbist creating a calming presentation, adorned by Jens Meijer's light drum work. Toon Rumen takes the lead on bass with a standout melodic solo adding strong contrast to the track. Bop track, No, I... read more
Dee Daniels - Intimate Conversations
by Mary Kunz Goldman, The Buffalo News
Dee Daniels, Intimate Conversations (Origin Records). Dee Daniels sang once with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and though the concert was in 2002, I remember distinctly how good she was. She brought great emotion to a bunch of Ellington songs, and she sang the heck out of the blues. She was fun to write about, too. It's not every day you can report accurately: "She held that note until it was thin as a ribbon, then fattened it... read more
Carlos Vega - Bird's Ticket
by Hrayr Attarian, Chicago Jazz Magazine
Saxophonist Carlos Vega's debut on Origin Records, Bird's Ticket, is a delightful set of bop-influenced compositions laced with Latin exuberance and soul-jazz nuances. Vega's quintet interprets these intriguing originals with thrilling virtuosity and unbridled spontaneity.
The title track opens with energetic, hard-swinging group refrains. Vega exhibits his full-bodied, vibrato- tinged tone as he eloquently embellishes the main... read more
Dan McCarthy - City Abstract
by Tom McCarter, KZSU - Stanford
Vibraphonist McCarthy returns to his native Toronto after fifteen years in New York & creates an ode to the city. He works his way through originals & a few choice covers with a balanced approach that speaks both to strength and poise, & the romance embedded in the act of repatriation adds a touch of nostalgic allure to the music. He also pays tribute to two of his main... read more
Anthony Branker & Ascent - Dance Music
by Karl Ackerman, All About Jazz
Anthony Branker continues to experiment with the standards of large group musical tradition on Dance Music. Leading a revised version of his Ascent ensemble, the composer/musical director takes a different approach than the Latin influences on Blessings (Origin Records, 2009). Only on the last of ten tracks, "Depende," is there a composition in that vein, but that's all for the good, as Branker keeps searching for new ways to articulate a... read more
David Sills - Down The Line
by Brian Soergel, JazzTimes, September 2006
Tenorist David Sills, despite being in his mid-30's, could pass for a Lester Young disciple of the late 1940s or 1950s. Not that he sounds like any one Young follower in particular, as he possesses a personal tone and constructs his solos in a distinctive manner. His thoughtful improvisations catch the ear with unexpected phrasing that swings comfortably along. Sills shares the frontline with altoist Gary Foster, another saxophonist whose pure... read more
Kelly Sill / Jim McNeely / Joel Spencer - Boneyard
by Tom Conrad, JazzTimes
Jim McNeely is best known as a composer-arranger for large jazz bands. On Boneyard, he applies the mindset of a big-band arranger to the minimalist format of the piano trio. He also gets space (rare in his discography) to display his considerable prowess as a fleet, sophisticated, percussively ornate pianist.
McNeely is able to approach this recording architecturally because he is so familiar with its building blocks. McNeely, bassist... read more
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