Origin Records Reviews

David Friesen Circle 3 Trio - Interaction
by Doug Ramsey, Rifftides

Among the dozens of recent releases that deserve serious attention, a few will get it. Among those those receiving it here is bassist David Friesen's new album. From the Portland, Oregon, sinecure in which he thrives when he's not touring the world, bassist Friesen has been performing at home and abroad with his Circle 3 Trio. They are Friesen on bass and Charlie Doggett or Reuben Bradley playing drums. They live in Portland, Oregon, for many... read more

Josh Nelson - Exploring Mars
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz

4 1/2 STARS - Mars, the forth planet from the sun - that blood red star arcing across the sky - has been investigated by many in the arts. Before NASA landed four rovers on the red planet's surface, science fiction writers took up the task of exploring our planetary neighbor: Edgar Rice Burroughs with his fantastic Barsoom series, beginning with Princess of Mars (1917), Ray Bradbury with the poetic Martian Chronicles... read more

Cuong Vu - Leaps of Faith
by Matthew Miller, New York City Jazz Record

For all of his sonic manipulations, kinetic energy and creative focus, trumpeter Cuong Vu never strays far from a strong melody. It is a unifying element in a professional career that has spanned nearly 20 years with his own idiosyncratic groups and associations with artists like Pat Metheny, David Bowie and Laurie Anderson, among many others. On two new releases, Leaps of Faith and Speak, Vu is joined by a coterie of like-minded musicians who... read more

Tom Rizzo - Day and Night
by Robert Rusch, Cadence

Guitarist TOM RIZZO's NIGHT AND DAY [origin 82733] presents a combination of small band [Nick Lane-tbn/arr; John Dickson-fr hn; Bob Summers-tpt; Bob Sheppard-ts; Jeff Driskill-ss; Doug Tornquist-tuba] and quartet [Dennis Hamm-p, David Hughes-b, Steve Schaeffer-drm] groupings which goes down very smoothly. The horns are mainly used as coloring but the main focus/sense is a guitar-led quartet. Of the 11 tracks [57:44], 3 of them are Rizzo... read more

Matt Otto with Ensemble Iberica - Iberica
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record

Music from Kansas City that calls itself jazz but sounds more like Paul Winter that Count Basie? Yep. The sax man hooks up with a guitar trio and some other players, all of whom seem to have more of a world sensibility than you might expect from the heart of the heartland. Right in step with the original world beaters like Winter, Paul Horn or Oregon, this is music with an exotic edge that soothes the savage beast. Tasty stuff that has the... read more

Darrell Grant - Truth And Reconciliation
by Steve Leggett, All Music Guide

Pianist Darrell Grant showcases some of neo-bop's strengths on this ambitious two-disc set from Origin Records. Looking back to the bop era for inspiration, Grant also astutely mixes in classical elements, folk themes, flirts with light R&B, and walks surely and boldly into pop territory, all through a bop lens from the vantage point of the 21st century. Working with guitarists Bill Frisell and Adam Rogers, saxophonist Steve Wilson, vibist Joe... read more

Benjamin Boone | Philip Levine - The Poetry of Jazz, Vol. 2
by Marilyn Castaneda, The Collegian - Fresno State University

When his first volume of "The Poetry of Jazz" released last year, nobody knew it would garner attention across the world with numerous accolades, spurring the release of his second volume this year.

Saxophonist and composer Benjamin Boone, a music theory professor at Fresno State, has had his music performed in 29 countries and is heard on more than 25 recordings.

He recently released "The Poetry of Jazz Volume Two," the second... read more

Nnenna Freelon - Beneath the Skin
by Tessa Souter, The New York City Jazz Record

Nnenna Freelon's folk-infused Beneath the Skin (Origin) is a deeply autobiographical work, rooted in grief and transformation. The album addresses three profound personal losses: her late husband, renowned architect Phil Freelon; her sister, Debbie; and the family dog, Basie. Acclaimed as a gifted jazz interpreter, Freelon shows herself here as a powerful songwriter and storyteller, channeling grief into a body of work that is both raw ("Widow... read more

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