Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Anthony Branker & Imagine - Songs My Mom Liked
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
The composer and director Anthony Brankar brings along an excellent cast for these fusion filled tracks that make up his 10th Origin record.
Fabian Almazan's swift keys open on "Praise", where the warm brass enters amid much flowing melody, and "Sketches Of Selim" follows with Linda May Han Oh's precise bass plucking that sets a mood of mystery and elegance.
Further along, "Land Of Milk & Honey" showcases Donny McCaslin's bright sax and... read more
Hal Galper - E Pluribus Unum - Live in Seattle
by Marc Van de Walle, Jazzmozaïek - Belgium
This live recording from Seattle in 2009 shows Galper at his best. With a lot of energy and a certain theatricality (in the positive sense of the word, Galper is not an exhibitionist), his four original compositions set high demands on the group, but they follow and support the pianist perfectly. Even more: they add value. Their solos fit seamlessly into the energetic, passionate style Galper owns. On the album you will find also three standards... read more
Affinity Trio - New Outlook
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
5-STARS Eric Jacobson's "New Outlook": A Trumpeter's Dialogue Between Past and Present.
When the playing of a trumpeter truly speaks, it awakens an instinct. For me, that means stopping the record at hand and reaching for the early Miles Davis albums, a private ritual that has nothing ceremonial about it, but everything to do with necessity. It's a way of measuring not imitation, but spirit: does the horn carry that urgency, that... read more
Jared Sims - Against All Odds
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz
Any tenor saxophonist with the surname Sims is certain to draw the attention of a seasoned reviewer, if only out of curiosity. The first name in this instance is Jared, not Zoot (well, not John). As it turns out, Sims has an impressive resume as a performer, writer, educator and leader; Against All Odds is at least his tenth album as foreman of his own group. Jared Sims is a capable player who knows his way around a horn; what he lacks is his... read more
Western Jazz Collective - Dark Journey: The Music of Andrew Rathbun
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
A collection of musicians who have the Western Michigan University in common, the 7 players on hand flesh out the music of saxophonist/composer Andrew Rathbum with much precision.
"Making No Sense" starts the listen with Matt Landon's frisky guitar lines alongside Rathbun's soulful sax for a timeless jazz spirit, and "Infinite Being" follows with a calmer pace of light drums from benefit much from Scott Cowan's radiant trumpet.
Deeper... read more
Inbar Fridman - Time Quartet Project
by , Jazziz
Sometimes isolation can be a boon to artists. Such was the case for Israeli-born guitarist Inbar Fridman and her French-based colleagues, who holed up at Studio de la Marmotte, surrounded by the breathtaking scenery of the foothills of the Pyrenees. The results of their collaboration can be heard on Fridman's 2013 recording Time Quartet Project, which captures both the panoramic sweep of--and the hushed reverence of being in--such a magical... read more
Gabriel Guerrero & Quantum - Equilibrio
by Herb Boyd, DownBeat
4 1/2 STARS "Present Moment," the first track on Gabriel Guerrero & Quantum's debut album, arrives like a torrent of exultation that only on occasion recedes. Even then, there is a pleasant tumult of harmonic tension, especially when Guerrero's piano bleeds into the tantalizing sonic expositions of Seth Trachy's saxophone. The track is like the preface to a book, a harbinger of expressive music that at its base exudes a Latin-flavored... read more
Ray Vega & Thomas Marriott - East-West Trumpet Summit
by George Fendel, Oregon Jazz Scene
The two-trumpet ensemble is not a new thing in jazz, but it sure is a good thing in the hands of New Yorker Ray Vega and Seattleite Thomas Marriott. Their paths had crossed on both coasts over recent years, and a friendship and mutual respect developed. Resulting, of course, in this recording. Former Seattle pianist (now New Yorker) Travis Shook leads a rhythm section that also boasts two Seattle aces, bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer Matt... read more
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