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
4-STARS The heart sinks a little at the threat of a concept suite celebrating the span of human history, then bucks a little with the thought that there have been some very good ones: Mingus's Pithecanthropus Erectus, Grachan Moncur III's Evolution, George Russell's The African Game...
This latest attempt, written in emulation of Buddy Rich's epic suites, actually only occupies the first 10 minutes of a long and richly varied CD and... read more
When I was living at home, there were certain types of music that would cause my mother to knock on my bedroom door as she walked past and ask, "what are you listening to?" in a tone that seemed to wonder whether she had a reason to be worried. The Mayday Session is that type of music. It isn't particularly loud or jarring, but there are enough kinks and corners with who-knows-what on the other side of them to make the whole project vaguely... read more
Mimi Fox has been playing guitar for over four decades and released her first album in the 1980s, but This Bird Still Flies is her first all-acoustic recording - mostly on a Taylor acoustic, with Day Tripper featuring a baritone guitar. Mixing self-penned tunes with jazz standards and a couple of Lennon/McCartney numbers, the album gives Fox a chance to show off her versatility on the acoustic instruments.
Fox holds the attention... read more
Pianist and educator George Colligan's profile continues to rise. He may not be as well known in some circles as his outstanding trio partners on this project - bassist Larry Grenadier and Colligan's frequent employer, drummer Jack DeJohnette - but he certainly has the chops to hang with them. The Endless Mysteries, Colligan's 24th album as a leader, contains 10 original compositions, many of which the keyboardist developed while playing with... read more
Long time Chicago jingle meister Reynolds always seemed to find the energy to step outside the domain he ruled and do other musical things. Whether trying to develop rock bands, being a high profile night club accompanist or keeping big band alive, Reynolds managed to find the time and money to do it. Here we find him going back into the recording studio after a 15 year lay off, rounding up a who?s who of Chicago jazz from various modes and... read more
Tenor sax man Geof Bradfield explains the premise of this disc as revisiting Clifford Jordan's tribute to Leadbelly when asked to put together a concert for the Fulton Street Jazz Record Collective. He and the band revisited these classic sounds while honoring the spirit that Jordan had first brought: play the old songs to honor them while adding your own voice which in itself has been influenced by the root without simply copying that root.... read more
Trumpeter Brad Goode leads strong and classy 16 team big band through a mix of originals and standards, all conducted under John Davis' baton. The charts keep your interest, and the band has its own signature sound, with punching accents on the bluesy bopper "Goose Chase" and a strong collection of sections that build up on the title tune, with Goode taking a solo that swerves like an entranced cobra. A take of Charlie Parker's "Ornithology" has... 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