Sometimes I think it's me. Maybe I have a "problem" with female singers. Or maybe jazz really is dead and that's why Krall and Karrin and Monheit bore me to madness with their tiresome twittery standards. And then I hear someone like Lynn Bush and realize that jazz lives plenty and so does my heart. She won't win awards for prettiest voice or most pristine technique, but shit, computers, and computer-like performers can supply that now. Bush has... read more
Sometimes aesthetic theories are clear (and necessary) only to the artists who invented them. Ornette Coleman has never satisfactorily explained what he means by "harmolodic," but it doesn't matter. The claims that Hal Galper makes for his "Rubato concept" are sometimes abstruse. It doesn't matter. What is clear is that Galper's investigations into the "bending and shaping of tempo" set him free.
Not many artists make stylistic... read more
A fantastic CD from a great artist!
John Stowell is not only a great guitar player, he is one of the few unique voices in jazz today. He has a style that is instantly recognizable, and plays with very intense feeling and emotion. The sad fact is that John has been playing to this great level of musicianship for at least 25 years, yet is known to only a small number of people. John is best in small group situations, solo, duo, or trio, where... read more
The versatile bassist Jon Hamar has established himself as one of Seattle?s first call bass players over the last few years. For this rather unusual session, he leads a quartet with two saxophones, bass and drums. One of the saxmen, Rich Perry, has been a formidable presence in New York for quite a while. This session marks something of a detour for Perry, in that it is more in the free-avant garde camp than his prior mainstream orientation.... read more
Jessica Williams has produced an album of intimate solo piano pieces, rendered with elegance and emotion. There's a backstory here, that Ms. Williams suffered a lumbar spine collapse, followed by lengthy and extensive medical procedures. Her self-penned liner notes suggest that the nonpyrotechnical approach was a result of the spine issues, but had she made no mention of her problem, the album would still be a testament to a musical vision of... read more
It's obvious that these three musicians have an "affinity" for each other and the music they make together. The drumless trio format makes the presentation more intimate, and the extra space in the soundscape makes the performance of familiar material unique. There's no lack of rhythmic drive, though, due to Clay Schaub's propulsive bass and intuitive locking in with Pamela York's piano backing. The program is enjoyable with a distinctive... read more
While Chris Walden has arranged and composed music for films, television shows and other artists' records, he is most significant to jazz as the leader of his own big band. Full-On is his sixth CD as a leader and fifth since 2005.
Full-On is an exciting album from start to finish. Walden contributed all of the arrangements, wrote five of the 12 selections, and produced the diverse but consistent set. Six different singers are... read more
David Friesen plays the Hemage bass for the most part and occasionally the piano on this two disc set with saxist Joe Manis and drummers Charlie Doggett or Reuben Bradley. The firstr disc was recorded in Portland, and features nimble interplay between the three. Friesen's warm piano teams well with Manis' soprano on "Soft As Silk" and "Sequence" while his flexible bass gets funky with Manis on tenor on "Interaction" and Doggett in high hat... 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