The label writes the following lines about the album: "Forceful and mystic, with a beauty and intensity that reminded him of his first hearings of Miles, Mingus, or Monk, Belgian bassist & composer Piet Verbist was pulled into his deep study of Flamenco culture several years ago through a grant from the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp. After a dozen immersive trips to Andalusia to study, perform, and develop a repertoire, Piet presented concerts... read more
The title and the cover art have you thinking this is probably some kind of edgy, malcontent stuff and nothing could be farther from the truth. A high octane jazzbo, Mallet mixmasters things in a way you don't expect but knows how to make the whole come out fully baked and ready to savor. Familiar and not so at the same time, his wide ranging range of pals deliver the goods under his watchful eye and a good time is had by all, including you.... read more
Guimarães Jazz Fest Doesn't Play It Safe "Aqui Nasceu Portugal," says a sign on the 1,000-year-old stone tower in Guimarães' historic city center. "Here Portugal was born." The decisive battle of Portuguese independence took place in the shadow of the castle wall in 1128. And because of this, Guimarães remains one of Portugal's most important cities, even if its 52,000 inhabitants don't make it one of the largest.
If anything, its... read more
Rich toned guitarist Mimi Fox is a pleasure to hear with every release and every setting. She has an inherent sense of swing to her note selection and plays for feeling instead of mindless chops. Here, she tackles the world of the Hammond B3 trio with organmeister Brian Ho and drummer Lorca Hart, saluting the early days of Wes Montgomery's similar trio in the process. She composes a healthy amount of the material, still leaving room for a tasty... read more
You could safely describe 'Carrier' as the guitar album of a drummer. Xavier Lecouturier delivers only five of the ten compositions while his guitarist takes care of three. Bassist ( Ben Feldman ) and pianist ( Gus Carns ) each also wrote a song. A generous group leader who rather plays the role of game distributor and gives his fellow musicians a lot of room. Lucas Winter uses a guitar style in the line of Larry Coryell and Kurt Rosenwinkel. He... read more
I'll be completely candid here: this isn't my favorite jazz album of the year, or even the month. But I'm recommending it because I don't see it as my job simply to share what I like — it's my job to hip you to good music, and this album is objectively excellent, in terms of both the playing and (even more so) its structure and conception. Bassist Piet Verbist leads a trio that includes guitarist Hendrik Braeckman and drummer Lionel Beuvens,... read more
RINGER OF THE WEEK - While this collection represents a tribute to Bill Evans' compositions, Jim Norton could easily have subtitled this as a remembrance of another Evans, Gil. The woodwind/bandleader here focuses on the famed pianists work as a writer, but Norgon brings together a big band that includes enough brass and reeds to bring to mind vintage sessions like Miles Ahead and Porgy and Bess from the Miles Davis/Gil Evans... read more
Origin Records has been putting out a ton of stuff these days, and mostly good stuff�real good, in fact. It's more than I can ever listen to, and if you talented cats in Seattle are reading this�I really appreciate it. As a matter of fact, one of my favorite "new" guys is now with you, and his name is Alex Graham.
Hold on to this dude. He's truly on his way to making an indelible mark in the jazz world as on of the upcoming monsters. Yup,... 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