Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Kim Richmond Concert Jazz Orchestra - Refractions
by Woodrow Wilkins, Jazz Review
When one thinks of classical musical, centuries-old compositions by European masters usually come to mind. However, it's often been said that jazz is "American classical music."
These thoughts emerge when playing Refractions, the new CD by the Kim Richmond Concert Jazz Orchestra.
One of the most respected figures in big band jazz for two decades, L.A.-based saxophonist/composer/arranger Kim Richmond takes it up a notch with his latest... read more
Ben Patterson - The Way of the Groove
by Luca D'Alessandro, Jazz'N'More (Switzerland)
The title delivers what it promises: a generous portion of groove that hits you from the very first bar. Indeed, Ben Patterson's search for the perfect groove was his goal when producing the album: "What is groove?" asks the bandleader in the description, and immediately offers a suggested answer: "Groove is essentially a study, a discipline, and an art that transcends style. It's a way of communicating..." Patterson is inspired by genres such... read more
Doug Lofstrom with Misha Rachlevsky & the Russian String Orchestra - Music for Strings
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
Music composed by Doug Lofstrom is deliciously performed by the Russian String Orchestra, conducted by Misha Rachlevsky on this rich collection of original and fresh classical works. There are four major pieces, all of which brim over with musicality and grace. A three piece "Music For Strings" includes rich Britten-esque lilts, rich pizzicato'd swayings and a dramatic climax. "Concerto For String Orchestra" as gentle pleadings as well as... read more
Hadley Caliman | Pete Christlieb - Reunion
by George Fendel, Jazz Society of Oregon
The two tenor concept is nothing new in jazz. But when played by the best of the lot, it can be highly exciting and musically fulfilling. Such is the case here with Seattle veteran Caliman and LA kingpin Christlieb. With an all-Seattle rhythm section of Bill Anschell, piano, Chuck Deardorf, bass, and John Bishop, drums, the two renew a long standing musical friendship with an album dotted with original compositions by its participants, and a few... read more
Scenes - Along the Way
by Bill Bennett, All About Jazz
The scenes along the way here are generally bucolic ones, awash with that distinctive just after the sundown light celebrated by photographers. It's a contemplative journey?"no hurry, no worry," as the clich� goes. The tempos are relaxed, the timbres unfailingly warm. Subtlety is the key word. This amiable, polished music never clamors for your attention; however, a little deep listening will yield many aural delights.
Guitarist John... read more
Anthony Branker & Ascent - Dance Music
by Karl Ackerman, All About Jazz
Anthony Branker continues to experiment with the standards of large group musical tradition on Dance Music. Leading a revised version of his Ascent ensemble, the composer/musical director takes a different approach than the Latin influences on Blessings (Origin Records, 2009). Only on the last of ten tracks, "Depende," is there a composition in that vein, but that's all for the good, as Branker keeps searching for new ways to articulate a... read more
Geof Bradfield - melba!
by Martin Z. Kasdan Jr., LEO Weekly, Louisville
Saxophonist/composer Geof Bradfield enlisted his longtime employer, pianist Ryan Cohan, to play in his suite honoring Melba Liston. She was one of the first African-American women to make her name as a jazz instrumentalist (trombone) and arranger, associated over four decades with pianist Randy Weston, among many other projects. (Weston himself rightly praises Bradfield's work.) Bradfield tells Liston's story in musical movements,... read more
Geof Bradfield - Our Roots
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
4 1/2 STARS Discussing "roots" in the context of jazz, a good starting point is the Mississippi delta, down in New Orleans, where the music of trumpeters King Oliver and Louis Armstrong grew strong. And then there's the rich earth of the delta in north western Mississippi, up near Clarksdale, where the blues grew and blossomed. The roots from both these areas were, of course, transplanted from Africa.
Chicago-based... read more
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