Origin Records Reviews

Bobby Broom - Upper West Side Story
by Brent Black, Critical Jazz.com

Sometimes when a release is billed as "intimate" or "personal" the words "dull" and "boring" can be easily slid in the mix and sadly be a pretty accurate representation of the end result of recording. I call this artistic death by self indulgence.

Not here.

Bobby Broom is an artist that is not doing as much of an autobiographical release as much as Upper West Side Story is a story told from the artistic perspective of how it all... read more

Geof Bradfield - melba!
by Dave Sumner, emusic Review

Septet session led by the saxes and bass clarinet of Bradfield, and featuring the guitar of Jeff Parker. Lays down the textures one lovely layer after the other, and builds up to a sound that Big, but embraceable as a teddy bear. Modern, yes, but really the kind of music that should rope the old-schoolers in, too. Highly... read more

Emi Meyer - Monochrome
by Hobart Taylor, KUCI - Irvine, CA

Emi Meyer's phrasing and nuanced tonal control is clean and complete. This is a singer/songwriter whose intimate and compelling narratives and reflections are set in jazz pop arrangements. The melodies fall like the first snow. Her tune "If I Think of You" and her co-written tunes, especially one with Dawn Clement, "Flesh and Bones", resonate with sincerity. She covers an ironically understated version the blues classic "I'd Rather Go Blind",... read more

PJ Newman - The Hand Of Dog
by Adam Greenburg, All Music Guide

On The Hand of Dog, Seattle-based artist PJ Newman puts himself to work creating a series of innovative sets. At times reminiscent of Zappa, and at times simply playing with the sounds of his samples, Newman puts together a nice collection of works. His guitar is the centerpiece of the majority of the pieces, often in interplay with a pair of saxes, courtesy of the highly able Jessica Lurie and Sue Orfield. Ben Smith provides a solid drum... read more

Matt Jorgensen +451 - Quiet Silence
by Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide

In his sophomore album, Quiet Silence, drummer Matt Jorgensen shows off an incredible hand at both composing and arranging, as he moves effortlessly through piece after piece mixing the old and the new with his band 451, a collection of busy Seattle players. In what's perhaps been the most notable shift on the album, Marc Seales' usual piano is replaced by a nice Fender Rhodes, which works out surprisingly well under his fingers, as can be noted... read more

Scenes - Silent Photographer
by Kyle O'Brien, Jazz Society of Oregon

John Stowell is a busy guitarist. This is his second of three releases in several months, here with the Scenes trio that includes Jeff Johnson on basses and John Bishop on drums. The trio has been playing together for a decade, and the connection between the musicians is enviable. They seem to have a musical ESP that makes what could be a fairly standard trio disc into a feat of amazing connectivity. Even though the liner notes say that the... read more

Lucas Pino - No Net Nonet
by Shaun Brady, Downbeat

3 1/2 STARS Young tenorman Lucas Pino has led a monthly residency at Smalls Jazz Club with his smart nine-piece ensemble since March 2013, which explains why the band sounds so tight and cohesive on its self-titled debut, No Net Nonet. Out of the gate, the band navigates blistering, breakneck lines with hairpin precision on opener "The Fox," which features well-articulated serpentine runs from the leader followed by a more spacious... read more

Hans Teuber & Jeff Johnson - Deuce
by Paul Rauch, All About Jazz

4-STARS Bassist Jeff Johnson and multi-reedist Hans Teuber have a musical and personal friendship that goes back to the late eighties when both first arrived in the northwest outpost that is the city of Seattle. The jazz scene in the Pacific Northwest has always been prolific, though to many, a hidden gem outside of the main pulse of jazz cities such as New York and Chicago. In many ways, Deuce, is a snapshot of 30 years of musical give... read more

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