This formative, saxophone, bass and drums is always the most intriguing, giving ample space to all three contributors. Drummer John Bishop is the leader and it's his kinetic underscoring that keeps this music together. Other capables, as Rick Mandyck on saxophone and Jeff Johnson on bass add inventive vectors throughout, especially on "All Day Pass." Then "Orange Blossom" blends an aphrodisiac blend of Paul Desmond and an Oscar Pettiford ver... read more
Chris Icasiano has established himself as one of the boldest musicians in Seattle's jazz and experimental-music scenes as a drummer in the Bad Luck duo with saxophonist Neil Welch. Together they've delved into free-jazz maelstroms and more nuanced and somber pieces with masterly skill.
Icasiano's debut solo album, Provinces (out today), consists of field recordings he took during a trip to the Philippines, where his ancestors lived; he's... read more
This next September 17, 2021 will see the light of the last release of the record company Origin Records under the title of Our Time: Reimagining Dave Brubeck, a recording of Mark Zaleski Band. The Mark Zaleski Band is a powerful sextet led by the saxophonist and arranger that gives the band its name.
On Our Time, Mark serves as frontman for the Boston-based band and presents several fresh insights into the genius' classic compositions: Dave... read more
The latest and best album by Chicago pianist and composer Kelly Brand. Brand brings an understated beneficence to her music: when she backs other players, she offers dark full chords, while her own solos are thoughtful, uncluttered affairs ? good stories told simply and well. Her narratives have another advantage in that they are always backed by Kelly Sill, one of the finest bass players of his generation ? and also Kelly Brand's husband. The... read more
Stemming from a missed gig and a somewhat hurried recording session following, Day introduces the Bridge Quartet, a collection of jazzers from Portland (and nearby) in their first collaboration. Particularly given their short history as a quartet, the sound is incredible. Phil Dwyer's sax keeps a solid tone, at home in a smoky nightclub, and takes hints from some of the greats but forges an identity of its own rather than simply emulating those... read more
Sometimes I think it's me. Maybe I have a "problem" with female singers. Or maybe jazz really is dead and that's why Krall and Karrin and Monheit bore me to madness with their tiresome twittery standards. And then I hear someone like Lynn Bush and realize that jazz lives plenty and so does my heart. She won't win awards for prettiest voice or most pristine technique, but shit, computers, and computer-like performers can supply that now. Bush has... read more
John Stowell, Jeff Johnson and John Bishop have been playing together as Scenes for nearly a decade, and the group continues to evolve and develop as a trio rather than a collection of players. It's not about showcasing one instrument or even one sound. Their work is reminiscent of the fusion of the '70s and early '80s, like that done by Mike Stern or John Abercrombie, though it is definitely of the now. Stowell's guitar approach is softer... read more
5-STARS To write about Anthony Branker is to risk superlatives. And yet restraint feels almost dishonest. He stands, more than likely, among the most important and influential American composers working today, not simply because of the sophistication of his craft, but because of the intellectual and moral architecture that sustains it. Once again, Branker delivers a work that is forceful, searching, at moments even unsettled, a score... read more
This is just a small collection of the Origin Records reviews. Click here to view all reviews or try to Search for your favorite CD title.
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Hanna Kay, Cult News (Paris)
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Budapest, Rudolf Radnai
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Dawn Clement - Dear Ms. Dearie
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Dee Dee McNeil, Making A Scene
Affinity Trio - New Outlook
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Michael Dease Big Band - Return Trajectory
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Brad Goode Quintet Feat. Ernie Watts - Live Your Dream: Live at North Street Cabaret
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Maja Jaku - Blessed & Bewitched
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect