Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Hal Galper Trio - The Zone: Live at the Yardbird Suite
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
Piano legend Hal Galper shows his post bop chops in high quality form at this gig in Edmonton, Canada with his team of Jeff Johnson/b and John Bishop/dr. The Getz/Baker alumnus shows pristine and lovely work on the lyrical "Artist" while digging deep with the mates on the modal "Scufflin'". The three form a hip groove on "Israel" with Johnson giving thoughtful intros to the scrambling "Cubist" and slapping the sucker on the bluesy "Scene West"... read more
Marius Nordal - Boomer Jazz
by George Fendel, Oregon Jazz Society
Marius Nordal is one of those virtuoso pianists who can spin you around in your chair and make you rue the day you ever started taking piano lessons. I know this to be true because I own his first two albums for Origin, and I've heard his Tatum-esque exploits on both. He has complete command of the piano, and you can't reign him in, so don't try. And, by the way, it's all very musical and lots of fun! This time around, Nordal tackles the music... read more
Carlos Vega - Bird's Ticket
by Michael Jackson, Downbeat Magazine
****
Miami-born Vega, assistant professor at Florida A&M University, returned to Chicago to record this, his first leader release. Vega had been active on Chicago's lively Latin jazz scene, notably with the cracking Chicago Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble during his years as a graduate student in the early aughts. He rejoins CALJE co-leader Victor Garcia for a sizzling and sophisticated set of 10 Vega originals.
Bass ace Josh Ramos anchors... read more
Kim Richmond / Clay Jenkins Ensemble - CrossWeave
by Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Altoist Kim Richmond and his co-leader, trumpeter Clay Jenkins, contributed six of the nine songs to this sextet session. The originals and the improvisations are very harmonically advanced and thick with chords, while still swinging. The underrated tenor saxophonist Rich Perry takes many creative solos, as does Richmond, Jenkins, and pianist Harold Danko. While none of the originals are destined to become standards in the future, the music is... read more
Tom Rizzo - Imaginary Numbers
by Corey Hall, Jazzreview.com
Remember how bassist Oscar Pettiford would take huge breaths between notes while soloing? This bad brother seemingly envisioned his instrument, his-self, as a horn, so you could hear him inhale before his fingers would pluck out a low-end exhale-ation.
Pettiford came to mind while listening to guitarist Tom Rizzo's debut album, Imaginary Numbers (Origin). With active accompaniment from a five-piece horn section and full rhythm section, Rizzo's... read more
Alex Graham - Brand New
by Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
Alto sax player Alex Graham's album Brand New attempts to live up to its own title largely by reworking classic pieces (and a few less-common items in the jazz world) into a new form for an interesting sextet combination. The album opens with a piece from the Stylistics that is just this side of recognizable. An original blues club number from Graham follows, as well as a couple of interesting arrangements of old songbook classics. An Isley... read more
David Friesen - A Light Shining Through
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
4-STARS The music of bassist David Friesen is inspired by two major sources: his ancestral Ukrainian roots and his Christian faith. While the Christian aspect of the inspiration is probably long-term, the familial roots part of the equation seems to have gained traction with Testimony (Origin Records, 2021), a piece recorded with a jazz quartet 2018 in Kiev with the National Academic Symphonic Band Of Ukraine. Expansive in thematic scope... read more
Bobby Broom - Upper West Side Story
by Bill Milkowski, JazzTimes
Following clever takes on contemporary pop tunes (2001's Stand), Thelonious Monk (2009's Plays for Monk) and Stevie Wonder (2011's Wonderful! by the Deep Blue Organ Trio), Bobby Broom's tenth outing as a leader is his first collection of all originals. Named for the Manhattan neighborhood where he grew up (he's been a Chicago resident since 1984), Upper West Side Story finds the veteran guitarist paying homage to... read more
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