One of the finer piano trio albums of 2013 - released too late in the year, or on too small a label, to make a dent in the critics' polls - is George Colligan's The Endless Mysteries. It's a program of original compositions, most of them sensible and sturdy. And because it was recorded in a few hours with no rehearsal, it's the product of rough-and-ready postbop expertise, rather than the lived experience of a steady band.
At... read more
It is certainly good news for jazz listeners that Origin Records has released ten of Hal Galper's past recordings as a leader, including this live concert from 1977 recorded in Berlin's symphony hall and released as (3) in 2021 as a two CD set. This concert, occurring in Galper's life chronology between extended stays with Cannonball Adderley (1973-1975) and with Phil Woods (1980-1990), displays a heightened dynamic and McCoy Tyner-influenced... read more
John Coltrane tributes are not hard to find in the jazz world, and different tributes will celebrate different periods of the saxophone innovator's career. Some tributes pay homage to Coltrane's hard bop period (as in &"Giant Steps," &"Moment's Notice," and &"Lazy Bird"), others pay homage to his modal post-bop period of roughly 1960-1964, and some pay homage to his radically avant-garde free jazz period of 1965-1967 (the last few years of his... read more
Tito Carrillo has released his second Origin Records album titled Urbanessence. Carrillo has composed nine originals and included an original from Phil Koceril. The trumpeter and composer mixes jazz, salsa, Latin jazz, gospel, blues, funk, and soul to form a magical blend of music he calls Urbanessence. The ensemble is Carrillo on trumpet; Troy Roberts, tenor, soprano saxophones; Ben Lewis, piano; Clark Sommers, bass; Jay Sawyer on drums and... read more
With a full album dedicated to Jerome Kern's contributions to the Great American Songbook, it's not terribly surprising that Kelly Harland should come across as a bit of a torch singer. Luckily though, Harland's got stronger abilities than the average torch singer. Where so many female jazz singers try to spice up the songbook with a little power and show, or try to vamp up the songbook like Eartha Kitt followers, Harland simply sings with a... read more
Vocalist Greta Matassa and bassist Clipper Anderson set out to make a Christmas CD that would stand out from the pack and they succeeded with And to All a Good Night. Bypassing most of the tradition's expected favorites, they drew little-known or forgotten songs from films, pop, and jazz, infusing them with thoughtful arrangements. Matassa begins with a warm setting of "A Christmas Love Song" (music by Johnny Mandel, lyrics by Marilyn and... read more
Joined by pianist Greg Goebel and drummer Charlie Doggett, legendary bassist/composer David Friesen presents here a two-disc set of live and studio recordings comprised entirely of originals, all of them in a generally straight-ahead but harmonically adventurous style. Guitarist Larry Koonse pitches in on about half of the tracks as well, and those are some of the most enjoyable — though the whole album is great. Friesen's backup playing is... read more
A Sophisticated Debut: New Terrority for Jazz Invention The title of this album, Enamigo Reciprokoataj, seems to be a gimisch of languages and in a way it is, being Esperanto. To my knowledge, it is second Esperanto-related musical recording; Lou Harrison's La Koro Sutro is the other. Brittany Anjou, pianist and trio leader, is the composer and arranger of the ten-track 58-minute instrumental debut. The title, roughly Reciprocal Love, is... read more
This is just a small collection of the Origin Records reviews. Click here to view all reviews or try to Search for your favorite CD title.
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Hanna Kay, Cult News (Paris)
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Budapest, Rudolf Radnai
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Dawn Clement - Dear Ms. Dearie
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Dee Dee McNeil, Making A Scene
Affinity Trio - New Outlook
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Michael Dease Big Band - Return Trajectory
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Brad Goode Quintet Feat. Ernie Watts - Live Your Dream: Live at North Street Cabaret
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Maja Jaku - Blessed & Bewitched
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect