Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Michael Zilber - East West: Music for Big Bands
by Bruce Crowther, Jazz Journal (UK)
Contemporary big band music is in short supply nowadays, and so for that matter are big bands. Canadian-born Michael Zilber ably compensates for the first of these deficiencies with his composing and arranging.
His compositions, of which there are eight here, are strikingly original, while his arrangements are very much of today yet remain accessible to listeners. When arranging the compositions of others, he seeks and finds stylistic... read more
Ben Patterson - Push the Limits
by Editor, Phil's Picks
The year that was 2020 was a pivotal period for trombonist and jazz artist Ben Patterson. That is because he saw so much change in his own career throughout the year. After more than two decades as a member of the United States Air Force Band's Airmen of Note (as well as its lead trombonist and musical director), Patterson stepped down from the positions and left the organization. Then in March, the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down.... read more
Benjamin Boone with the Ghana Jazz Collective - Joy
by Chris M. Slawecki, All About Jazz
Benjamin Boone's set with this band born and grown in Ghana is a genuine cross-cultural jazz Joy.
The seeds of Joy were planted when composer-saxophonist Boone spent a year as a US Fulbright Scholar in Ghana in sabbatical from his professorship at California State University (Fresno), to study the country's music and musical traditions. The music Boone found made him feel at home: "These guys know American jazz inside and out—but with a... read more
Corey Christiansen - Roll With It
by C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz.com
If jazz is America's soundtrack, periodically updated by tonal seismic shifts, then Corey Christiansen's third release, Roll With It, is one such shift. Imagine a Grant Green-Jimmy Smith-Stanley Turrentine 1960s triumvirate (had one existed) buffed to an early 21st Century digital sheen, greasy easy on the pork fat, hard on the omega-3s and what you get is guitarist Corey Christiansen's soul-jazz world view.
Debuting on Origin Records with... read more
Chris Walden Big Band - No Bounds
by Edward Blanco, ejazznews
No Bounds is an enchanting and absolutely riveting big band release from German composer/arranger, Chris Walden, a two-time Grammy Award nominee for his previous album, Home of My Heart. This recording has a decidedly Disney musical theme as Walden includes three big band orchestrations of the Disney songs, "When You Wish Upon A Star," "Some Day My Prince Will Come," and the familiar "It's A Small World After All."
When listening to this... read more
Michael Dease - City Life: Music of Gregg Hill
by Mark Griffith, Modern Drummer
A double CD set of Jeff Watts playing music can never be a bad thing. And trombonist Michael Dease has given us just that. The first CD of this two CD is a strange combination. Dease has given us a trio of trombone, bass, and drums. And while that might seem strange, trios of saxophone, bass, and drums are some of my favorites, so why not a trombone. "Sweet Georgia Gillespie" is a great track that lets Jeff Watts loose, and just listen to what... read more
Phil Kelly & The SW Santa Ana Winds - My Museum
by Harvey Siders, JazzTimes, September 2007
In 2003 a cross-pollination of Pacific Northwest and L.A. jazz communities resulted in Kelly's first Origin album, Convergence Zone. It happened again in '06, leading to this masterpiece. No rehearsal time. As Kelly explained, "It was straight gonzo." Thanks to the growing comfort level, the guys simply devoured the charts. "Jeannine," "Daydream" and "Zip Code 2005" reveal Kelly's expertise with taut clusters. "It's a Lazy Afternoon" (in... read more
Jessica Williams - Freedom Trane
by Jerome Wilson, Cadence
Pianist Jessica Williams explores the music of John Coltrane, playing compositions from various parts of his career as well as original pieces that strongly show his influence. All the familiar Coltrane characeristics are here: heavy chords, grand swirling introductions, and slowly unwinding melodies. But there are not a lot of direct takes from his most familiar pianist, McCoy Tyner. Williams' playing is based more on the rich melodic sweep... read more
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