Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
George Colligan & Theoretical Planets - Risky Notion
by Hobart Taylor, KUCI, Irvine, CA
Colligan is a renowned pianist composer who also whetted his chops on trumpet from time to time. On this new outing on Seattle's Origin label he switches to drums. He has worked with the great Jack DeJohnette and Billy Hart on some of his previous recordings, and some of it has rubbed off. He is a very melodic drummer, fluid, casual and precise. The tunes are slightly spacey post bop with some Latin Jazz whispers, and they are all killer no... read more
Sam Yahel - Truth And Beauty
by Steve Greenlee, JazzTimes, September 2007
The trinity of organist Sam Yahel, saxophonist Joshua Redman and drummer Brian Blade has become an interesting association. The mission of the group shifts depending on who sits in the director's chair. And indeed that leadership role shifts. The group began as a cooperatively run unit known as Yaya3, but now it has at least two other incarnations. When Redman leads the trio it is known as the Joshua Redman Elastic Band. Here we have Sam Yahel... read more
Josh Nelson - The Sky Remains
by Thomas Cunniffe, Jazz History Online
If "La La Land" was a salute to the superficial opulence of Los Angeles, Josh Nelson's album "The Sky Remains" is the perfect antidote, focusing on the sometimes troubling history of the City of Angels. Each of the 10 movements is tied to a piece of the city's legacy, ranging from nearly forgotten figures like writer Charlotta Bass and the notorious Griffith J. Griffith, who funded (and was the namesake for) Griffith Park. Nelson uses an... read more
The Spin Quartet - In Circles
by Don Lerman, Cadence
The Spin Quartet consists of top-notch musicians who carve out an interesting group identity. The absence of a piano or guitar from the instrumentation of two horns, bass, and drums gives clarity and an open quality to the music, aided by the fine writing from mostly band members.
Trumpeter/flugelhornist Chad McCullough wrote five of the pieces, with the subdued "Oranges Are Supposed to be Orange" and bright-eyed "Haberdasher" among his... read more
Giacomo Gates - Centerpiece
by Elliott Simon, All About Jazz/New York
Whether lending his smooth baritone to a ballad or practicing the art of vocalese, Giacomo Gates brings a sense of honesty to a song. So much so, that when he says straightfaced that the trombonist hasn't shown and then proceeds to fill the void with the best mouth trombone you ever want to hear, you believe him. Gates' on and offstage persona reflects a genuineness borne of working the Alaskan pipeline and oil rigs off the shores of Lake... read more
Upper Left Trio - Three
by Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
The Upper Left Trio is a tight piano-bass-drums trio whose interplay borders on the intuitive at times. Pianist Clay Giberson, bassist Jeff Leonard and drummer Charlie Doggett engage in the type of musical conversations that Bill Evans made famous in the 1960s even though they do not emulate Evans too closely. Their treatments of the group originals (the only standards are "The In Crowd" and Neil Young's "Don't Let It Bring You Down") are... read more
Sam Yahel - From Sun to Sun
by Doug Simpson, Audiophile Audition
When he first came to the attention of jazz fans, keyboardist Sam Yahel became noteworthy as a Hammond B-3 player with a modern approach to his instrument, blending open-minded post-bop with traditionalist motivations and often breaking the mold of the sometimes stale jazz organ categorization. Recently, Yahel has moved forward by returning to his roots. Yahel began his musical career using acoustic piano and starting with his 2009 release,... read more
Scenes - Along the Way
by Rick Holland, Jazz Radio 247
Origin has released a beautiful disc featuring a guitar-led rhythm section, featuring John Stowell. He's accompanied by John Bishop and Jeff Johnson. This disc features 10 new originals by John Stowell and Jeff Johnson. They're explorative originals, which expand a players harmonic and rhythmic sensibilities. The group plays them passionately and creatively.
Scenes was a group that originally started as a quartet. Tenor saxophonist Rick... read more
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