Mamutrio was founded when 19-year-old drummer Jesse Dockx convinced his teachers, alto saxophonist Lieven Cambré and bassist Piet Verbist, to collaborate with him. Primal Existence is an hour-long exposé on how to make a traditional approach sound contemporary. Part of the group's success lies in its demarcated sound registers: Verbist holding down the bottom, Cambré in the upper-middle, Dockx' cymbals on top, his snare and toms filling in... read more
4 1/2 STARS Pianist / vocalist / composer Dawn Clement has appeared on plenty of recordings, both as a sideperson and leader, but she has perhaps never quite accomplished what she has here with Delight, on the Origin Records label.
There are balances achieved with this record that fans of the long-time Seattle, now Denver-based Clement can eagerly wrap their collective arms around. Her intrepid curiosity and virtuosity have been a... read more
It should come as no surprise that the Affinity Trio sounds as good as they do, considering their regular gig at The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee. The tightness and telepathic interplay heard throughout their debut album, Hindsight, only comes through playing together on a consistent basis. Trumpeter Eric Jacobson, bassist Clay Schaub and pianist Pamela York make some excellent music in this seemingly sparse trio. What's really interesting is that... read more
Drummer Dana Hall mixes Jazz mainstream material with some heavily progressive textures on this recording debut as leader. As a member of Terell Stafford's quintet, he's familiar with the members of this ensemble; they share a fondness for group-speak, where unison passages fill the bill and individual soloing remains prominent. Hall, who studied aerospace engineering at Iowa State University, sees the role of drummer as a creative force in Jazz... read more
Okay, along with a lot of you, I haven't explored the music of Ornette Coleman to the extent that I probably should have. I've "always" admired "Lonely Woman," and as Bishop explains, on a disc of Coleman tunes that nobody ever does, "Lonely Woman" is the exception because, he writes, "I've been playing it for 20 years and it deserves to be here." Bishop's quintet includes two reedmen, Richard Cole and Tim Willcox, who join forces... read more
A fine environment - psychologically and acoustically - allows Williams to make one of her finest recordings yet. 5*****
Such a title might seem excessively self-promotional with most other jazz pianists on the scene today, but not so with Jessica Williams. She's one of the nation's musical treasures and one of the most distinctively original jazz pianists to be heard anywhere. This is her third CD for Origin, recorded live at... read more
Seattle trumpeter-composer Thomas Marriott is joined by tenor saxophonist Hans Teuber, pianist Gary Versace, bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer John Bishop on this excellent release, his fifth for Origin. From the urgent free-leaning opener, "Diagram," which seems to use Miles Davis' "E.S.P." as a jumping off point, to the swinging title track, the moody meditative "Clues" and the atmospheric rubato closer, "Treadstone 71." Marriott and company... read more
The esteemed drummer Les DeMerle laid down this album with his band, Sound 67, way back in 1967, and here it's finally released after being lost in the shuffle at Atlantic Records.
"Come Back To Me" starts the listen with DeMerle's drumming acrobatics alongside Randy Brecker's bright trumpet and Danny Sandridge's swift keys, and "Feelin' Good" follows with Alan Gauvin's soulful sax complementing the dynamic rhythm section that embraces Terry... 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