Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Don Lanphere - Where Do You Start?
by Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Few veterans of the classic bebop era were still active in 2002, and even fewer were still in their musical prime. Don Lanphere is a major exception. Rather than just recreating the past (which in his case includes leading a date that featured Fats Navarro), Lanphere always looks ahead. A distinctive tenor-saxophonist, Lanphere also doubles effective on soprano and leads a top-notch sextet in the Pacific Northwest. Where Do You Start has a... read more
John Stowell / Michael Zilber - Basement Blues
by Mike Joyce, JazzTimes
Following this West Coast ensemble's two widely acclaimed recordings, Shot Through With Beauty and Live Beauty, Basement Blues may seem like a departure, in tone and tack. But as "Stowell in Heart" and other highlights here warmly illustrate, Basement Blues is similarly riddled with charms, to say nothing of its soulful allure and conversational postbop gambits.
A bit of good cheer, too, enlivens this... read more
Christopher Icasiano - Provinces
by Gregg Daniel Miller, Free Jazz Blog
4 1/2 STARS I had to listen to this record for months before I could write about it. It's that different. Percussion solo records are an interesting breed, and this one doesn't remind me of anything.
Icasiano's percussiveness is all about the pacing and grouping of the beats. Clusters, clusters, driving and then receding, with crisscross patterns emerging from the maelstrom. Psychedelic. Disorienting. There is no "one," and while... read more
Hal Galper Quartet featuring Jerry Bergonzi - Cubist
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
How do you make this trio better? Add Jerry Bergonzi and record them live and in the moment. You think it's going to be sitting down jazz but once the percolator starts perking, you just can't turn it off. A tease and a surprise, this is jazz that engages you and keeps you on board to hear what's coming next. Pros that deliver the goods, this is the hot stuff you are seeking that doesn't play fair and doesn't play by the... read more
Anthony Branker & Imagine - Songs My Mom Liked
by Mark Griffith, Modern Drummer
I always like to listen to records by composers and arrangers that don't play any instruments on their records. Anthony Branker is a composer and an arranger, and the musical director of Songs My Mom Liked. Branker has put together the perfect cast of musicians to play his music. The stars of the cast are saxophonist Donny McCaslin, pianist Fabian Almazan, bassist Linda May Han Oh, guitarist Pete McCann, and drummer Rudy Royston. But the entire... read more
John Stowell | Michael Zilber - Live Beauty
by Chris Lunn, Ancient Victorys
Stowell's inventive, warm approach to the guitar with a delicate touch meets Zilber, whit his big saxophone sound and edgy intensity. They have found a musical vocabulary across the past decade in duo, trio and quartet formats. This is their second quartet undertaking and was recorded live at the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley, California. They are joined by the large warm sometimes rumbling bass work of John Shifflett and the... read more
Allison Adams Tucker - WANDERlust
by Paul Hormick, San Diego Troubadour
Allison Adams Tucker has assembled a cache of great songs, as well as a roster of stellar musicians, to create a truly exceptional recording. Her latest release, WANDERlust, fulfills all the requirements of a CD that I'll play again and again: verve, liveliness, and variety.
Tucker is a marvelous singer. A soprano, her voice is light and clear, yet she has a great deal of strength and power. Her intonation is exemplary. It is a delight to... read more
Kiki Valera - Vivencias en Clave Cubana
by Tom Ehrlich, Timba
Kiki Valera, a member of a well known Cuban son family, Familia Valera Miranda, was born, raised, and attended conservatory in the eastern part of Cuba. He currently resides in Seattle, Washington, USA. He has just released his first recording as a leader, "Vivencias en clave cubana", an outstanding project with wonderful music, exquisite mastering, and great packaging.
Among the standout features of this project are Valera's skillfully... read more
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