Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra - Sacred Music of Duke Ellington
by Jeff Krow, Audiophile Audition
Freedom, justice and prayer's power are Ellington's themes in his sacred music
****1/2
You do not need nationally-renowned jazz orchestras to make brilliant recordings. Most every major city in the U.S. has national- level jazz musicians. Many of them choose to teach and lead high school and college level jazz bands. They can then play gigs on weekends and during the summer season. They are often first call sidemen when national talent... read more
Matt Otto - Umbra
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
The tenor sax extraordinaire Matt Otto has a lengthy history of live performances, and here he captures that energy with Jeff Harshbarger, John Kizilarmut, Hermon Mehari, Matt Villinger and Alex Frank for these 9 fusion filled songs.
'Little Things" wastes no time making an impression with Otto's radiant sax alongside Kizilarmut's agile drumming, and "Hawk" follows with a radiant demeanor that emits a calming intimacy that makes great use... read more
Nick Finzer - The Chase
by Bruce Lindsay, All About Jazz
The trombone's gone through a few good times and a few bad times as a front-line jazz instrument. Thankfully, for all lovers of this particular horn, these times are good times. Nick Finzer is one of the players responsible, a trombonist and writer with flair and variety. The Chase, his second album, helps to ensure that the good times will stick around.
Finzer's a member of Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, racking up a few million You... read more
Christopher Icasiano - Provinces
by Paul Simpson, The Answer Is In the Beat
The first solo album from Christopher Icasiano (of Seattle-based jazz group Bad Luck) contains two continuous suites ("Provinces" and "Taho") related to the complexity of cultural identity as a second generation Filipino-American. The album consists entirely of complex, sometimes frenzied drumming mixed with ambient synths as well as some field recordings from the Philippines. On the first track, which goes for ten minutes, he keeps up a rapid... read more
Piet Verbist - Suite Réunion
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
Originally formed as an outlet for the things he was writing that didn't fit into the various formats for all the other groups he was working with contemporaneously, this nu ECM cool school instrumental set lights the way to the creative future for musos unafraid to take chances in that distinct Euro way, not a surprise since Verbist is from Belgium. Angular without sharp edges poking you, this is real listening music that knows how to chart... read more
Dana Hall - Into the Light
by Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
Chicago drummer Dana Hall has had his share of cherry gigs as a sideman in his Windy City home or New York City over the last two decades. This debut CD as a leader shows not only his extreme talent rivaling contemporaries like Brian Blade, Kendrick Scott, Eric Harland, or Jeff Watts, but gives the listener a taste of his past and present influences as a composer. You heard direct references to Herbie Hancock tacked on to stylistic similarities... read more
Chad McCullough & Bram Weijters - Abstract Quantities
by Claude Loxhay, JazzHalo (Belgium)
Après "Imaginary Sketches" de 2011 et "Urban Nightingale" de 2012, voici le troisième album du quartet de Bram Weijters et Chad McCullough. On avait découvert le pianiste anversois au sein de Hamster Axis, on l'avait aussi entendu avec le Tuesday Night Orchestra, le quartet de Marjan Van Rompay, le quintet de Koen Nijs, le Misstriohso de Marie-Anne Standaert et au sein de Zygomatik de Piet Verbist.
Quant au trompettiste américain, il... read more
Shawn Purcell - 180
by Az Samad, Az Samad Lessons
The organ trio setting (organ-guitar-drums) is a classic jazz ensemble configuration that by now has a lot of history to it. Whether it be the older recordings from Wes Montgomery or Pat Martino, to more recent ones from Peter Bernstein and Dave Stryker — so much good guitar playing has been heard over the years in this setting.
So, when you want to release an album featuring this instrumentation, it can be a challenge to live up to the... read more
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