Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Piet Verbist - Secret Exit to Another Dimension
by JEAN-CLAUDE VANTROYEN, Le Soir (Belgium)
The Belgian double bassist Piet Verbist, in bed with the guitarist Hendrik Braeckman and the drummer Lionel Beuvens, produce this great album, of very swinging jazz, very fair and very exciting. Ten pieces, due to Verbist, to Braeckman and Beuvens, plus a cover of Charlie Parker (Cheryl) and one from Thelonious Monk (Pannonica). It's the guitarist who leads the dance, around which the bassist winds passionately and on which the drummer sings... read more
Charlie Ballantine - East by Midwest
by Editor, Modern Drummer
By listening to guitarist Charlie Ballantine, I would say that stylistically he is leaning further to the Bill Frisell, John Scofield, Pat Metheny side of jazz guitar than Jim Hall, Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery. I offer these names as only an explanation of my perceived interpretation of Ballantine's musical direction. Bassist Quinn Sternberg and drummer Dan Weiss support Ballantine's direction perfectly. Mixing some of his originals with Monk and... read more
Xose Miguélez - Ontology
by Félix Amador, Jazz, Ese Ruido (Spain)
Risk is the title of the chapter that the Jazz series of Ken Burns dedicates to bebop and, although bebop has ceased to be a novelty, jazz continues to advance and good musicians continue to appear capable of risking, giving everything to find that (eternal) new path that is the risky essence of jazz. In the disc of saxophonist Xose Miguélez there is only one theme that could be classified as bebop, but his taste for risk is appreciated in the... read more
Les DeMerle - Hittin' The Blue Notes, Vol. 1
by , JazzReview
There's no doubt from the downbeat of the first tune on Hittin' The Blue Notes--that tune being "Just Friends"--that this is a drummer's project. In the same way that, say, Art Blakey or Buddy Rich drove their bands, DeMerle establishes an undeniable presence that characterizes his band as well.
First of all, Les DeMerle kicks off the track with an 8-bar introduction (played in 8 seconds), effectively preparing the listener for the intensity... read more
Chad McCullough | Michal Vanoucek - The Sky Cries
by Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
Trumpeter Chad McCullough has worked extensively with Slovakian pianist Michal Vanoucek, leading to this studio collaboration. Their music resists labeling due to its wide scope. Accompanied by alto saxophonist Mark Taylor, bassist Dave Captein, and drummer Matt Jorgenson, the co-leaders contributed five originals each for this session. The trumpeter's rambunctious opener, "Where the Sky Cries," blends elements of samba and post-bop. But the CD... read more
Hal Galper Trio - The Zone: Live at the Yardbird Suite
by Brian Morton, Jazz Journal (UK)
Galper has had a fantastic run on Origin records, and indeed for years before that, but, unless I'm mistaken, rarely turns up on anyone's list of essential contemporary piano players. This November 2016 live date was made shortly after the Cubist sessions and the group was apparently beat and lagged when they went on. But, as Galper has said before, there is sometimes a shared chemistry that pushes exhausted players into a zone where they play... read more
Dan Cray - Meridies
by Bob Doerschuk, Downbeat, October 2012
****
Listening to Dan Cray and his group, one is reminded that underplaying can cast more light than a sky full of fireworks. That's not to say that there aren't busy moments on Meridies; there are plenty, especially in ostinati that the piano and bass play in unison to build momentum and sometimes to thread intricate rhythms together. But these occur only where they makes sense. Even with such elements, an impression of spaciousness... read more
Bill Anschell - Rumbler
by Carlo Wolff, Downbeat
****
Ambivalence and shadowplay suffuse this intriguing album by Seattle-based piano guru Anschell. Jeff Coffin's querulous soprano saxophone launches the medium-tempo title track, one of the most conversational on this engaging CD. The soloists vary, but the qualities of surprise and confidence always figure here. In addition to originals spanning the piquant "Heisenberg's Fugue State" and "39F," a tricky exercise verging on pop,... read more
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