Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Jim Knapp Orchestra - It's Not Business, It's Personal
by Mark Stryker, JazzTimes
There are two kinds of jazz listeners. Those who recognize Jim Knapp as a profound large-ensemble composer and arranger of uncommon imagination, depth, and expression—and those who have yet to hear his music.
Knapp, who died November 13 at age 82, was a revered bandleader, composer, arranger, trumpeter, and teacher in the Pacific Northwest. He taught for decades at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle and worked in myriad idioms: big... read more
Clark Sommers - Ba(SH)
by C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz
The spirit of Thelonious Monk abounds on bassist Clark Sommers' Ba(SH). Monk's music is magnetically drawn to odd formats like this saxophone trio, sporting Geof Bradfield on reeds and Dana Hall on drums. There is no tether in this music; all participant are free in the most free sense. The recital hold together well, with Bradfield's intricate nod to Monk's "Rhythm-n-Ing" providing an example of the long arm of Monk. There are elements of... read more
David Friesen Circle 3 Trio - Interaction
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
David Friesen plays the Hemage bass for the most part and occasionally the piano on this two disc set with saxist Joe Manis and drummers Charlie Doggett or Reuben Bradley. The firstr disc was recorded in Portland, and features nimble interplay between the three. Friesen's warm piano teams well with Manis' soprano on "Soft As Silk" and "Sequence" while his flexible bass gets funky with Manis on tenor on "Interaction" and Doggett in high hat... read more
Dave Glenn - National Pastime
by Larry Hollis, Cadence
Glenn...reinforcers my belief that some of the fine trombonists just keep coming out of the woodwork. It's not clear if National Pastime is his first recording as a leader (he's been working since the early 70's) but whatever the circumstances it would be safe to say Dave Glenn is more than ready, even overdue, to helm his own recording project. And a project it is because there's no question that this is a certified concept album in the best... read more
Brad Wheeler - The Future Was Yesterday
by Rev, The Kurt Elling Forum
Wanting to stock up on as much of Laurence's playing as I could get before his move out to NY, I asked him at the last Mill show if his Catch 35 gig was still going. He recommended that I hit Klas Restaurant in Cicero that Saturday afternoon, as Brad Wheeler had set up a gig there. This was quite the unique experience. Wheeler, as most of you remember, is often on the Tenor for Elling shows and recordings, and has that memorable melody and solo... read more
Sonando - Tres
by Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
Here's an interesting item. A Latin jazz release from Seattle. What makes it interesting is that Sonando is able to incorporate both the idioms of Latin jazz and the subtlety and grace that's fast becoming the hallmark of the Northwest jazz scene. The pieces here are a mix of originals and pieces from around the jazz world (Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver, Abdullah Ibrahim), rearranged as needed to fit the desired style. It's the seamless... read more
Josh Nelson - The Sky Remains
by Sean J. O'Connell, Los Angeles Times
Pianist Josh Nelson's Fairfax District home is squeezed from all sides by the lore of old Los Angeles, and he is a student of the city's many tales.
For Nelson's newest release, "The Sky Remains," out now on Origin Records, he invokes a handful of Southern California ghosts for an homage to the complicated past and promising future of his hometown with the help of some of L.A.'s best young jazz musicians, including vocalist Kathleen Grace,... read more
speak - Speak
by Matthew Miller, New York Jazz Record
For all of his sonic manipulations, kinetic energy and creative focus, trumpeter Cuong Vu never strays far from a strong melody. It is a unifying element in a professional career that has spanned nearly 20 years with his own idiosyncratic groups and associations with artists like Pat Metheny, David Bowie and Laurie Anderson, among many others. On two new releases, Leaps of Faith and Speak, Vu is joined by a coterie of like-minded musicians who... read more
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