Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Thomas Marriott - Human Spirit
by Larry Hollis, Cadence
A younger Hammond practitioner is present in Gary Versace on 'Human Spirit'. Trumpeter Thomas Marriott apparently has been a busy beaver of late. His release 'Constraints and Liberations' (with Versace on piano) was covered last issue (Apr/May/June 2011, p.225) and he and Taylor were both on 'Flash Point' (same issue, p.126) by Randy Halberstadt, both under the Origin company auspices. Where those two issues utilized a piano, this one is... read more
The H2 Big Band - It Could Happen
by Rotcod Zzaj, Improvijazzation
Pianist Dave Hanson arranged all the tunes for this big-band smash-er-oo, & it totally will rock your jazz day! Tunes like the opener, "Hocus Pocus", will have you pining for those great ol' ballroom days (Maidenform or not)! The totally down & funky "B In C" merits numerous replays, & keeps the spirit of big band alive in today's musical miasma. Too many players to itemize here, but take my word for it, the energy levels this band are able... read more
Benjamin Boone | Philip Levine - The Poetry of Jazz
by Britt Robson, JazzTimes
It has been a banner time for high-profile jazz-poetry collaborations. Last year saw the release of Matt Wilson's long-planned tribute to Carl Sandburg, Nicole Mitchell's teaming with Haki Madhubuti and Jane Ira Bloom's musical refractions of Emily Dickinson's terse verse, among other projects. But now there is The Poetry of Jazz, providing us with the revelatory phenomenon of the wordsmith being the heppest musical cat on the scene.
Philip... read more
Ben Black - Mystery & Wonder
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect Reviews
The Seattle vocalist and songwriter Ben Black brings us 11 original songs here that are inspired by mysticism and meditation, and he's got an all star of musicians including Bill Anschell, Dave Peterson, Jeff Johnston, Mark Ivester, David Lange and Brenda Kay Neth along with him.
"Wonderland" opens the listen with Black's soulful pipes illuminating the frisky keys from Anschell and Peterson's spirited guitar work, and "Wind" follows with a... read more
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Richard Kamins, Step Tempest
Saxophonist and vocalist Abate Berihun emigrated from his native Ethopia to Israel in 1999. He had been a busy working musician in his native country, playing in the Military Band, having his own group at the age of 21, and touring Europe on numerous occasions. His move to Israel was marked by menial non-music related jobs before he began to make connections. He was introduced to Israeli pianist and composer Yitzhak Yedid in 2002, with whom... read more
Josh Nelson - The Sky Remains
by Lynn Rene Bayley, The Art Music Lounge
Pianist and composer Josh Nelson's new album, The Sky Remains, due for release September 15, is a mosaic of his impressions of his home town, Los Angeles. Live performances of the music from this album feature multimedia film footage to enhance the audience's experience.
More often than not, programmatic music designed to depict a specific location or event fall flat for those whose experience does not include those places or images. In... read more
Kelly Brand Nextet - The Door
by Tim Gault, Chicago Jazz.com
Ding Dong. The ring of a doorbell starts the latest offering from Chicago pianist Kelly Brand. This noted Chicago mainstay here provides an invitation for us to hear a set of mostly new compositions from her pen. A couple of other cuts on the CD also employ some sort of sound effects to briefly frame the mood of these tunes. So we are offered a clever (but thankfully not kitschy) concept to draw us initially across the threshold. Once you enter,... read more
Hal Galper - Trip the Light Fantastic
by Dave Sumner, Bird Is The Worm Jazz Blog
Jazz piano vet and highly regarded educator, Hal Galper offers another solid recording to his lengthy discography. Galper has a very identifiable sound, not sure I can adequately compare him to anyone. The way in which he strings notes together, it always leaves me with the impression of falling down a flight of stairs without ever leaving my feet? a controlled cohesive randomness that?s just a wee bit dangerous and could prove fatal. With Jeff... read more
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