Origin Records Reviews

Giacomo Gates - Centerpiece
by Tom Ineck, Berman Music Review

Giacomo Gates didn't decide to make a career of music until 1990, at age 40, and his debut recording appeared five years later. Since then he has established himself as a member in excellent standing of the ever-so-exclusive club of male jazz singers. With "Centerpiece," Gates takes another leap forward, with a wide-ranging repertoire demonstrating his many vocal skills and the natural appeal of his deeply resonant baritone instrument.

On... read more

Laurie Antonioli - Songs of Shadow, Songs of Light
by C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz

Bay Area vocalist Laurie Antonioli has been performing and recording for more than 30 years. Early on she mixed paints with the likes of Joe Henderson, Mark Murphy and Pony Poindexter with whom she undertook an 8-month European junket in 1980, quickening her already impressive jazz chops. Antonioli's discography is a slim yet intense affair that is full of brilliant pathos and musicianship. She has had much time pass between releases resulting... read more

Peter Erskine & The JAM Music Lab All-Stars - Vienna to Hollywood: Impressions of E.W. Korngold & Max Steiner
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move

When one receives an album from a jazz titan such as Peter Erskine, one cannot help but rejoice, knowing that Peter Erskine, like so many others of his caliber, has shaped the history of contemporary jazz through his collaborations with the best of the best: Maynard Ferguson, followed by his groundbreaking work with Jaco Pastorius in Weather Report, a group with which he recorded five albums. Later came collaborations with luminaries such as... read more

Matt Jorgensen + 451 - Another Morning
by Peter Monaghan, Earshot Jazz

Also on Origin is Matt Jorgensen +451, one of the most impressive live jazz bands in this region, with the potential to impress far afield. Their live performances are at times stunning -- supertight and driving. On disc, as live, the quartet has great confidence. Listening to them, you really do believe that there is every reason why their sound is arrayed their way, which, when you think about it, is a most curious thing.

Another... read more

Dan Dean - 251
by Brian Sorgel, JazzTimes

The Seattle counterpart of Steve Swallow, bassist Dan Dean is able to swing persuasively, comp authoritatively and improvise melodically on electric bass. O the series of intimate duets he is showcased walking, chording, and soloing freely in the company of four decidedly different keyboard stylists. With Larry Goldings on Hammond B3 organ, Dean explores Thelonious Monk's "In Walked Bud," james Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)," Jobim's "One... read more

Laurie Antonioli and Richie Beirach - Varuna
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly

Intimate interaction takes place between vocalist Laurie Antonioli and pianist Richie Beirach during this (mostly) duet session. Bassist Pepe Berns shows up for a sensitive read of "Gentle Rain" and a three part "Resolution Suite" but for the most part you get voice and ivories searching various dynamics and rhythms. Sometimes Antonioli whispers and speaks low when she speaks love, whle on "Summer Night" the two swing it confidently. A read of... read more

Laurie Antonioli - The Constant Passage of time
by Dr. Debra Jan Bibel, Amazon

5-STARS After her previous album honoring the music of Joni Mitchell [Songs of Shadow, Songs of Light], mezzo-soprano Laurie Antonioli includes three more songs of Joni Mitchell in her new album, which also features Sheryl Crow's Riverwide and Neil Young's Don't Let It Bring You Down. The track Layla is not Eric Clapton's song but Antonioli's title and lyrics to a tune [Bee] by another guitarist, Nguyên Lê (Layla is the name of her new... read more

Maja Jaku - Blessed & Bewitched
by Tim Larsen, JazzViews (UK)

For many American listeners, Blessed & Bewitched will be an introduction to Maja Jaku, a Kosovo-born singer who has already built a strong reputation in Europe. She brings a voice that can be powerful and direct, yet she's just as comfortable pulling it back to a hushed intensity, shaping phrases carefully and letting the meaning of the lyrics come through. That sense of control traces back to a musical household — her father was a trumpet... read more

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