Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Carl Schultz - The Road to Trantor
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
Playing tenor sax and flute, Carl Schultz creates a kind of soundtrack to an as yet unwritten science fiction move on this creative and evocative album with Tim Wendel/g, Adam Benjamin/p-key, Zack Teran/b and Alwyn Robinson/dr. As expected, the intergalactic themes are, well, spacey, as Wendel and Benjamin go where no man has gone before on "Journey" and "Psychohistory", and the electric noodles veer around the machinations of "Caves Of Steel".... read more
Marcos Varela - San Ygnacio
by Terrell Holmes, New York City Jazz Record
Listen to Marcos Varela's San Ygnacio and its' clear that this bassist not only knows how to make excellent straightahead jazz, he makes it sound easy.
It's not surprising that the album is so good, considering those Varela has playing with him, all fine composers and arrangers themselves. All one needs to do is look at Varela's counterparts in the rhythm section: pianist George Cables, defined by his harmonic sophistication and... read more
Chad McCullough & Bram Weijters - Abstract Quantities
by Dave Sumner, Bird is the Worm
There is a workmanlike quality to the magic this quartet creates with each recording. Abstract Quantities is the third album from the quartet led by pianist Bram Weijters and Chad McCullough, and much like the two that preceded it (2011's Imaginary Sketches and 2012's Urban Nightingale) they go about their job of crafting expert melodies and seamlessly fusing them into place with logical rhythms and harmonies that achieve their function... read more
PJ Newman - The Hand Of Dog
by Adam Greenburg, All Music Guide
On The Hand of Dog, Seattle-based artist PJ Newman puts himself to work creating a series of innovative sets. At times reminiscent of Zappa, and at times simply playing with the sounds of his samples, Newman puts together a nice collection of works. His guitar is the centerpiece of the majority of the pieces, often in interplay with a pair of saxes, courtesy of the highly able Jessica Lurie and Sue Orfield. Ben Smith provides a solid drum... read more
Rich Thompson - Less Is More
by George Fendel, Oregon Jazz Scene
For his second session on Seattle?s respected Origin label, Thompson has put together a solid quintet and chosen some intriguing jazz compositions, often overlooked by others. The opener is Kenny Dorham?s ?Lotus Blossom,? a hard bop vehicle. Or how about Ornette Coleman?s ?Invisible,? a tricky melody line that nobody has given any attention to for years. Then there?s ?This Is for Albert?, a rather lyrical and tuneful Wayne Shorter creation.... read more
Cathy Segal-Garcia - SOCIAL ANTHEMS, VOLUME 1
by Travis Rogers, The Jazz Owl
Cathy Segal-Garcia is nothing if not prolific. An international performer, to be sure, she is also a Jazz educator and 14-time recording artist. This is a departure but a natural development from 2018's The Jazz Chamber, a brilliant album with a chamber orchestra and joined by fellow vocalists Mon David and Kate McGarry.
Now Cathy offers Social Anthems, Volume 1 and brings along those great West Coast Jazz cats who make it look so easy. She... read more
Jessica Williams - With Love
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
Successful musicians play "the truth." If you want to hear some truth there are certain artists you can seek out. Thelonious Monk couldn't play anything but the truth, right from the beginning. Pianist Jessica Williams came upon the truth - a purer form of it, at least - after experiencing "the fix of Illness" that she has discussed on her website and in interviews. Her first "fix" came about via her struggle with hypothyroidism, and... read more
Tom Collier - Impulsive Illuminations
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
Celebrating his recent retirement after thirty years as a jazz educator, Collier let's the improv drive him rather than the other way around as he transposes ideas and adds Bill Frisell to the mix. Very George Russell in reminisce vibes are going on here as Collier weaves his vibes throughout, this is a set for eggheads that wear their mortar boards proudly. Deceptively simple, there's a lot going on here for those that want to dig... read more
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