Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Chris Walden Big Band - No Bounds
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz
Any way you slice it, it's not easy for a big band to earn a Grammy Award nomination. Composer/arranger Chris Walden's debut album, Home of My Heart, received not one but two, for Best Large Jazz Ensemble and Best Instrumental Arrangement. One year later, Walden returns with another strong contender, No Bounds, showcasing eleven of his exemplary charts performed by an all-star ensemble of Los Angeles-area studio/big band musicians.
Walden,... read more
Josh Nelson - Exploring Mars
by Carol Banks Weber, AXS
Josh Nelson's known in L.A. as an in-demand sideman and session player for jazz vocalists like Sara Gazarek ("Blossom & Bee") and Kathleen Grace ("No Place To Fall"). He often takes over the show, suspending vocal animation, with his imaginative comps and classically induced solos that seek to beautify the story without over-embellishing. But he is also a surprising solo artist with a universal language all his own, as fans of his albums... read more
Deardorf / Peterson Group - Portal
by Steve Cline, Earshot
Musicians and jazz lovers of all ages were tightly packed into Jazz Alley in late April to celebrate the occasion of some of Seattle's finest professional improvising artists producing one of their own.
The sidemen have come to the front with the release of Portal (Origin) by the Deardorf/Peterson Group.
Bassist Chuck Deardorf, guitarist Dave Peterson, saxophonist Hans Teuber, and drummer John Bishop are each so entrenched in the Seattle... read more
Carlos Vega - Bird's Up
by Dave Rogers, WTJU, Richmond
This is the second release by educator and tenor and soprano sax player Carlos Vega. He has a smooth and limber style on the sax and in addition to being a music professor at Florida A&M, he performs with the Chicago Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble. He returned to the windy city to make this second disc with his Chicago connections: Victor Garcia (trumpet, flugelhorn); Stu Mindeman (piano, Rhodes); Josh Ramos (bass) and Xavier Breaker (drums). That... read more
Anthony Branker - Beauty Within
by Editor, Drumhead Magazine
The music of composer Anthony Branker stands firmly on jazz traditions while simultaneously pushing the boundaries in bold and beautiful new directions. For his seventh release for Origin Records, Branker features brilliant new works as performed by longtime collaborator-saxophonist Ralph Bowen, guitarist Pete McCann, pianist Fabian Almazan, bassist Linda Oh, and drummer Rudy Royston. Branker's new ensemble, Imagine, takes his expansive... read more
New Stories - Speakin Out
by Jim Santella, Cadence
New Stories insures that the music swings and everyone solos. Their composed tunes have a built-in drama to hold your interest. From the modern mainstream, the ensemble speaks out through impressionism as well as with concrete formulae. Formed in 1988, the Seattle trio has two earlier recordings. Marc Seales and Doug Miller contribute poignant melodies that serve as a springboard for improvisation. Ernie Watts' silky soft tenor saxophone tone is... read more
Kelly Brand Nextet - The Door
by Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
An album of originals (plus one stray Wayne Shorter number), pianist Kelly Brand's The Door is a nice set of contemporary Chicago jazz. This is nightclub jazz at its best, with attention paid to the compositions and the details, a fine set of backing musicians, and an able leader directing the activities. The compositions are never too complex, but never so simplistic as to be predictable. Brand's playing is careful, never quite reaching for the... read more
Tito Carrillo - Urbanessence
by Nolan DeBuke, The Jazz Word
Tito Carrillo is back with his second Origin Records release called Urbanessence. The trumpeter and composer says of the album, "I love the energy of the city, always have. Having been born in Austin, TX, and raised musically in Chicago, I've always been drawn to the melting pot, the high-energy pace, the festivals, the food, the diversity of cultures, and, of course, the music. As my career as a performer morphed into a career as a... read more
Looking for a specific review?
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.
Search Reviews:
Recently Added Reviews:
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