Origin Records Reviews

Bobby Broom - Upper West Side Story
by Jerome Wilson, Cadence

This recording marks the first time guitarist Bobby Broom has ever done a CD of only his own compositions. All of his melodies here, like the tricky blues vamp of ?Major Minor Mishap? and the sleek cool of ?Lazy Sundays? are attractive and provide good showcases for the dexterity and natural soul in his playing. His fat, laid back sound ,with traces of George Benson, is all over the set and once in a while he?ll go on a speedy, finger busting... read more

Laurie Antonioli - Songs of Shadow, Songs of Light
by Dr. Debra Jan Bibel, Amazon.com

Joni Mitchell certainly has gone far since June 1968 when I listened to the then emerging composer sing at New York's The Bitter End. Having become one of the honored greats of music, her numerous songs have been covered by many singers and instrumentalists. This includes jazz artists, which is appropriate since Mitchell herself wrote and performed jazz crossovers. The latest is from vocalist Laurie Antonioli, whose new album, Songs of... read more

Thomas Marriott - Flexicon
by Andrew Gilbert, Seattle Times

Seattle trumpeter Marriott tips his hat to horn heroes Freddie Hubbard and Miles Davis without ceding his own identity as a melodically inventive composer and consistently incisive improviser whose lines simmer anxiously without boiling over. A top-shelf cast featuring pianist/keyboardist Bill Anschell, bassist Jeff Johnson, drummer Matt Jorgenson, saxophonist Mark Taylor and vibraphonist extraordinaire Joe Locke (on two tracks) brings... read more

Todd Bishop - Little Played Little Bird
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz

5-STARS Fans of alto saxophonist Ornette Coleman have had to sit through a long wait since the free jazz pioneer's last recording, Sound Grammar (Sound Grammar Records, 2006), a marvelous set that garnered the artist a Pulitzer Prize. Those fans are still waiting, though the iconic jazz man has teased them with his bits and pieces (non-album length) of his distinctive playing on bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma's For the Love of Ornette (Jam... read more

Benny Powell - Nextep
by John Ephland, Downbeat, April 2009

This album is ripe with personality. Every cut evokes the aura of its leader, veteran trombonist Benny Powell. And each cut is different from the one that came before it. With a flexible crew that can navigate some second-line, swing, blues, samba and all things (light) Latin jazz, Nextep doesn't hit you over the head with amazing displays of virtuosity. Instead, the underlying group presence and unpretentious nature of the program stays... read more

John Bishop - Antwerp
by Georges Tonla Briquet, Jazz'halo (Belgium)

Two Flemings and an American who form a trio and choose the title 'Antwerp' for their CD. It could give rise to a lot of jokes. Not so in this case. Pianist Bram Weijters, double bassist Piet Verbist and drummer John Bishop deliver a recording bursting with modern jazz with clear links to a familiar jazz past.

The story of this trio starts in 2008 during the famous Banff conference festival and workshops where the American trumpeter Chad... read more

Dan McCarthy - City Abstract
by Tom McCarter, KZSU - Stanford

Vibraphonist McCarthy returns to his native Toronto after fifteen years in New York & creates an ode to the city. He works his way through originals & a few choice covers with a balanced approach that speaks both to strength and poise, & the romance embedded in the act of repatriation adds a touch of nostalgic allure to the music. He also pays tribute to two of his main... read more

Scenes - Silent Photographer
by Kyle O'Brien, Jazz Society of Oregon

John Stowell is a busy guitarist. This is his second of three releases in several months, here with the Scenes trio that includes Jeff Johnson on basses and John Bishop on drums. The trio has been playing together for a decade, and the connection between the musicians is enviable. They seem to have a musical ESP that makes what could be a fairly standard trio disc into a feat of amazing connectivity. Even though the liner notes say that the... read more

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