Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Jim Norton Collective - Time Remembered: Compositions of Bill Evans
by Jerome Wilson, Cadence
It's always intriguing when a musician's compositions are played by a group where the composer's instrument is nowhere to be heard. So it is here with a CD of Bill Evans works, both obscure and familiar, played by a large band with nary a piano around. This treatment helps you realize how strong Evans' writing was in the first place.
Jim Norton's approach comes close to the old Third Stream discipline. Classical voicings are combined with... read more
Trio Linguae - Kevin Woods / John Stowell / Miles Black - Signals
by Rick Anderson, CD Hotlist
Lots of jazz combos engage in group improvisation; very few, in my experience, do so in a way that's worth spending much time listening to-outside the confines of trad jazz, anyway. Trio Linguae (trumpeter/flugelhornist Kevin Woods, guitarist John Stowell, pianist Miles Black) is one of those very few combos. Their musical communication is such that you'll often hear them improvising in counterpoint, which is a pretty amazing feat when you... read more
Jordan VanHemert - Deep in the Soil
by Paul Abella, WDCB, Chicago
When I looked at the lineup for saxophonist Jordan VanHemert's Deep in the Soil, I mumbled to myself, "Wow...somebody's got themselves a BAND here!" Terell Stafford plays trumpet, Michael Dease is the trombonist, Helen Sung is sitting at the piano bench, Rodney Whittaker is holding down the bass duties, and Lewis Nash is behind the drums. This sextet lets you know it, too, from the first note. Sharel Cassity's composition, "Call To Order" gets... read more
Kim Richmond Concert Jazz Orchestra - Refractions
by John Killoch, Mainly Big Bands
I had heard comments to the effect that this particular compact disc was confirming Kim Richmond's place as the new Stan Kenton. With this thought in mind and remembering seeing and hearing the concert jazz orchestra in concert, and on the debut CD, I played the disc for the first time. I must admit that I wanted to hear the Kim Richmond I knew. This meant the music should be eloquent, cliche free, teasing me with gorgeous lyrical lines, complex... read more
Piet Verbist Zygomatik - Cattitude
by Brent Black, Bop-N-Jazz
To refer to bassist Piet Verbist as cutting edge would be cliché, to refer to Cattitude as one of the most adventurous releases for 2014 would be an understatement.
Hybrid genres are nothing new. A largely acoustic ensemble that can pull from improvisational music along with soul, rock and funk and accomplish this daunting task utilizing their own artistic vision is remarkable at best. A trio joined by two accomplished saxophonists... read more
Hans Teuber & Jeff Johnson - Deuce
by Doug Ramsey, Rifftides
Three thousand miles across the US, saxophonist and flutist Hans Teuber and bassist Jeff Johnson have been partners for as long Turner and Iverson have collaborated in New York. Teuber has been on all of Johnson's albums for their hometown Seattle label, Origin. This time, though, there's a difference; it's just the two of them. Their piece "Let's Pretend," composed—that is, improvised—in performance demonstrates how a "rhythm" instrument... read more
Bruce Barth Trio - Dedication
by Ken Dryden, The New York City Jazz Record
Californian Bruce Barth has been part of the New York jazz scene since 1988. His trio for his 17th album has two frequent collaborators, bassist Vicente Archer and the late drummer Montez Coleman, who died at just 48 of congestive heart failure in January. The chemistry is apparent, every track having the feeling of a first take.
Barth is an excellent composer. His brilliant, memorable melodies leave a lasting impression and he excels at... read more
James Moody - 80 Years Young: Live at the Blue Note, March 26, 2005
by Andrey Henkin, JazzWise (UK)
When saxophonist, flutist and sometimes-singer James Moody died in 2010 at 85, it closed an over-six decade career of dozens of albums, hundreds of credits and reputation for humor, grace and, most of all, musicality. But his impact lives on, not just through his music but also through the James Moody Jazz Scholarship (jamesmoody.com/scholarship), awarded annually since 2015 to an "outstanding high school senior who embodies the qualities... read more
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