Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Sarah Partridge - Bright Lights and Promises: Redefining Janis Ian
by Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz
5-STARS How did nobody think to go here before? With a glut of fine Joni Mitchell tributes on the market and a couple of engrossing Laura Nyro nods out there, how is it that no creative spirits in the jazz or cabaret camps thought to make the full-on jump to Janis Ian before now? Hearing Sarah Partridge dig into Ian's body of work makes this concept seem like a no-brainer - an incredibly natural fit, in fact - but that may very well... read more
Tim Davies Big Band - The Expensive Train Set
by Michael Barris, Downbeat
***1/2
Like the veteran Hollywood film and TV orchestrator he is, Tim Davies understands instinctively how to blend orchestral colors and textures to create moods, aligning himself with his hero, Nelson Riddle. Tonal and textural artistry abound on The Expensive Train Set, an ambitious endeavor that dwells largely in a meditative atmosphere with touches of melancholia. It features two Davies-led groups: a Los Angeles band of session... read more
Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra - Sacred Music of Duke Ellington
by Evan Dobbins, Jazz Radio 247
In the jazz world, recreating much of Ellington's repertoire can be a touchy subject. Some feel that what Ellington's bands created is so unique, that to revisit it would be akin to repainting the Sistine Chapel -- that some things are meant to stand alone, admired but untouched. When it comes to attempting to simply imitate these works, I would have to agree. On their recent release, Sacred Music of Duke Ellington, The Seattle Repertory Jazz... read more
Shawn Purcell - 180
by Cedric Hendrix, CirdecSongs
Guitarist Shawn Purcell found himself captivated by the six-string sound of the legendary Pat Martino. He's also loves the Hammond organ and the sound it makes within the context of the jazz trio. And so, we arrive at 180, a record that's solid and smooth enough to be mistaken for a granite countertop. Purcell's guitar tone is slightly muted and occasionally just a bit overdriven, which helps it cut through the groovy but gentle din created by... read more
David Friesen Circle 3 Trio - Triple Exposure
by Brian Zimmerman, Downbeat
EDITOR'S PICK, DEC, '16 David Friesen's new album with his Circle 3 Trio is a deeply personal statement, from the clean, stimulating compositions that form the bulk of the disc to the original mixed-media collage that adorns the cover. As such, the music here feels buttressed by the support of real life experience, and almost always the listener gets the sense that highly individuated musical concepts are in play. The group wrestles... read more
Affinity Trio - Hindsight
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
You get more with less with the drummerless Affinity Trio consisting of Eric Jacobson/tp, Pamela York/p and Clay Schaub/b on this mix of boppers and originals. York and Schaub take turns supplying the feel, with bluesy beauty for Jacobson's sweet horn on "Open Windows" and bringing an easy peppy feel to Cedar Walton's "Hindsight". York is elegant and soft for Jacobson's horn on "Theme For Ernie" with Schaub supplying nimble fingers on "Tin Tin... read more
Nnenna Freelon - Time Traveler
by Matthias Kirsch, Gina Loves Jazz (Germany)
It's her eleventh album to date and her first since "Homefree" came out back in 2010. Nnenna Freelon sounds as fresh and graceful, jazzy and soulful as ever and in most cases on her beautiful new disc, even better than ever before. Harking back to her "Listen" (1994), "Shaking Free" (1996) or "Soulcall" (2000) days when she released collections of soul classics mixed in with standards and originals, usually with style and imagination and a... read more
Greta Matassa - Portrait
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
Vocalist Greta Matassa has a hint of Carmen McRae's tone in her voice as she sings with richness and wanderlust on this collection of standards. Teamed with Darin Clendenin/p, Clipper Anderson/b, Mark Ivester/dr and Alexey Nikolaev/sax, is luscious on Latin material like the sleek "Baubles Bangles and Beads" as well as the suave samba, "The Beat of My Heart" with Nikolaev's warm tenor sax. Anderson gives thick solo intros to a swinging "Gone... read more
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