Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Mike Pope - The Parts You Keep
by MICHAEL STÜRM, Jazz Podium (Germany)
Mike Pope is a musician no one in Europe has on their radar. This engaging music, based on a shared musical language, is highly dynamic and full of beautiful sounds when it comes to bassists in jazz. The American is one of many instrumentalists who primarily work as sidemen. When these musicians record an album themselves, it often holds its own against the big names. Even if Pope occasionally betrays the routine of a virtuoso studio musician,... read more
Nnenna Freelon - Time Traveler
by Nate Chinen, WBGO
On Time Traveler, her first album in more than a decade, Nnenna Freelon considers the passage of time through the prism of personal loss. The album is a tribute to the memory of her husband of 40 years, noted architect Phil Freelon, who died in 2019.
Among the more emotional expressions on the album is this cover of "Time in a Bottle," a posthumous No. 1 hit for singer-songwriter Jim Croce. With a sharp band arrangement by her pianist, Miki... read more
R|E|D|S - Sign of Four
by Kyle O'Brien, Jazz Society of Oregon
The acronym moniker stands for the four musicians in this quartet ? guitarist Bjarne Roupe, baritone saxophonist Ed Epstein, drummer Dennis Drud, and bassist Goran Schelin. This is northern European jazz, in that three of the players are based in Denmark and one in Sweden (though Epstein, father of saxophonist Pete Epstein, is an Oregon native). It also has that calculated feel that typifies jazz from the Scandinavian countries. But it is more... read more
ZurHub - Countryside Motorways
by Edward Blanco, All About Jazz
Israeli flautist Mattan Klein and fellow Jerusalem native guitarist Ezequiel Hezi Jait, based in both Tel Aviv and New York, present a stunning musical portrait on Countryside Motorways, blending the rhythms of Brazil with Israeli folk and classical music while drawing influence from legendary composers such as Hermeto Pascoal and the incomparable Chick Corea. The co-leaders are joined by three other fellow countrymen, including pianist Itay... read more
Josh Nelson - Exploring Mars
by Kirk Silsbee, Downbeat
Josh Nelson is the most accomplished of the younger L.A. jazz pianist-arrangers, and he has assembled a fine group of originals, along with Holst's foreboding "Mars, Bringer of War," on Exploring Mars. An opening reading from Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles sets the tone, with Nelson handling the relaxed recitation over Larry Koonse's discreet guitar chords. The small ensemble music in this collection is often lyrical, harmonically rich and... read more
Michael Dease - The Other Shoe: The Music of Gregg Hill
by Scott Yanow, The New York City Jazz Record
Michael Dease is joined by an entirely new cast on The Other Side, performing ten selections composed by Gregg Hill. The musicians are excellent with veteran pianist Geoff Keezer sharing the keyboard duties with Luther Allison and three up-and-coming players being heard from: clarinetist Virginia MacDonald, bassist Liany Mateo, and drummer Colleen Clark. Trombonist Joel Perez is on two selections on which Dease switches to baritone sax, and... read more
Purna Loka Ensemble - Metaraga
by MEDUSA OF TROY, KFJC-FM, CA
For those well-versed in Indian classical styles, Western improvisation and geometric progressions in music, the album "Metaraga" is a fascinating melding of math and music, eastern and western music. For those who don't recognize all of the influences within this album, it is an interesting blend of sounds and tempos, with two violins (mathematician-violinist Purnaprajna Bangere and David Balakrishnan from Turtle Island String Quartet), bass... read more
Mamutrio - Primal Existence
by Philippe De Cleen, Written In Music (Belgium)
Met Primal Existence geeft Mamutrio, bestaande uit (alt)saxofonist Lieven Cambré, bassist Piet Verbist en de nog maar 19 jaar jonge drummer Jesse Dockx aan dat jong en oud elkaar in de jazz prima kunnen vinden.
Ondanks de eerder klassieke bezetting (altsax, bas, drums) weet dit trio zichzelf op erg aantrekkelijke wijze in de kijker te spelen, al is het vooral de inbreng van het jonge drumtalent Dockx die de aandacht naar zich toe trekt.... read more
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