Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Carlos Vega - Art of the Messenger
by Larry Hollis, Cadence
Here's a belated present for all us hard bop lovers. This Carlos Vega has a pair of previously issued discs for the Origin label and is not to be confused with the drummer of the same name. Those two platters were salutes to Bird but this time around its a nod to powerhouse drum-master Art Blakey Vega's bandmates are the same on all three discs so one has little trouble understanding how super tight this quintet is on this third album. Each of... read more
Laurie Antonioli and Richie Beirach - Varuna
by Christopher Loudon, JazzTimes
Perhaps least known among contemporary jazz's great voice-piano duos, with 25 years of shared history, Laurie Antonioli and Richie Beirach are also masters of delayed gratification. The Duo Sessions, their first album as coleaders, was recorded in 1992 but not released until 13 years later. This overdue reunion was recorded in Beirach's adopted hometown of Leipzig a decade ago, completed in California in 2012, and at last released in... read more
José Luiz Martins - Odyssey Mixtape
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
The Brazil native and piano, keys and synth player José Luiz Martins recruits plenty of ideas from his heritage for these 7 tracks that embrace jazz, classical and popular music sensibilities.
"Incerteza" opens with a dreamy presence, where John Lee's radiant guitar flows alongside Martins' fluid keys and Dana Hawkins' skilled drumming, and "Don't Act Like" follows with Nakama's expressive voice that suits the funk stabs and Tyrone Allen... read more
Joel Miller Sienna Dahlen - Dream Cassette
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
Joel Miller sings, plays sax, piano, guitar and percussion while Sienna Dahlen joins him in voice on this folksy collection with jazz sensibilities. Horns produced by David Carbonneau/tp and Dave Grott/tb ad textures to the guitars provided by Francois Jalbert and Jordey Tucker, while Simon Page/b and Kevin Warren/dr keep the pace steady. There's a synth pop feel to material like "Blue Times" and the folksy "Flying Dream" while the most jazzy... read more
Scenes - Silent Photographer
by John Barron, The Jazz Word
Intuitiveness coupled with camaraderie creates a steady flow of inspiration throughout Silent Photographer, the latest from the Seattle-based jazz trio known as Scenes. The collective, consisting of guitarist John Stowell, bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer John Bishop, performs mostly original compositions along with a few lesser-known jazz classics. Silent Photographer is their fourth release for Bishop's label, Origin Records.
Johnson, who... read more
Jerry Heldman - Revelation(s)
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
Jerry Heldman plays bass, piano, flute and even throws in some vocals as he leads a rhythmic team of David F risen/b-p, Sam Lipumag and Allan Pimentel/dr through a collection of sessions from the 70s. Because of the age of the sessions, the sound can be a bit thick at times, but the energy is fervent and heart felt. Lyrical pieces such as "Bossa Nova No. 1/Song For Kim" have some deep rivulets of grooves with LIpuma's guitar quite... read more
Oscar Hernández & Alma Libre - The Art of Latin Jazz
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
This session by pianist/composer Oscar Hernandez is strong on both art and Latin Jazz. He brings together a top notch team of Justo Almario/ts-fl, Jimmy Branly/dr, Christian Moraga/perc and Jorge Perez/b for ten sizzling originals. Trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos guests the slinking "Right On" while he teams with Almario for a peppy title track. The percussion dazzles on the snappy "Timeshift" and bops with delight on "ESPN Blues" while the leader... read more
Karrin Allyson - A Kiss for Brazil
by Fred Bouchard, The New York City Jazz Record
There's a catchy earworm refrain for "Wave", a consequence of Antonio Carlos Jobim writing the English version of "Vou te contar". the music and lyric of "the fundamental loneliness goes when two can dream a dream together" helped nudge a sly, sibilant tsunami throughout global music in the '60s via the new form of bossa nova. In A Kiss for Brazil, five-time Grammy nominee Karrin Allyson catches this wave with the grace and gusto of a Rio... read more
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