5 STARS Ben Thomas and the Future of the Bandoneon: A Cultural Mirage in Motion.
Astor Piazzolla didn't merely master the bandoneon, he redrew its boundaries. In sound, in form, in phrasing, he etched into musical history an invisible yet indelible rulebook, shaping what the instrument was and what it could be. For decades, those contours held firm, as musicians followed the trail Piazzolla had blazed with reverence, if not... read more
This live meeting of two West-Coast powerhouses succeeds precisely because it's not the kind of combustible collision that many all-star collaborations can become. You can probably thank guitarist John Stowell for that: he's got chops for days, but actively avoids setting fires. Instead, he sits back and plays only the right things. The answer also lies in the instrumentation. With no piano (and particularly with Stowell in the guitar chair),... read more
Don Lanphere was around during the glory days of bebop, recording with Max Roach and Fats Navarro as early as 1948, and we can still look forward to new music from the 75-year old tenor player. His latest, Where Do You Start? (Origin), recorded with his youthful group of regular band members, once again demonstrates his staying power. This collection of standards and originals provides opportunities for Lanphere to show off his mellow Lesterian... read more
Karrin Allyson, who has been recording rewarding albums since 1992, is still in prime form these days. On A Kiss For Brazil which is at least her 17th album, she displays her long-time love for Brazilian music. In 2008 Allyson had recorded an album titled Imagina: Songs Of Brasil and her rendition of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "O Pato" (complete with her charming quacking) is one of several Brazilian songs that have long been in her repertoire.
A... read more
4-STARS The Rhythm is Eddie Allen's second release by Push, as the veteran trumpeter calls the septet he first documented in 2014 with slightly different personnel. Allen's nicely juxtaposed, well wrought compositions and arrangements proceed to a broad array of grooves representing the various genres to which he's contributed the full-bodied tone, fluid phrasing and consummate technique that have earned the Milwaukee native first-caller... read more
Karrin Allyson has been singing professionally since the late 1980s. She has recorded more than 15 albums and has been nominated for a Grammy five times. Her new album, A Kiss for Brazil, is a breezy swing through bossa nova and samba with a sterling group of musicians.
In addition to singing songs in English and Portuguese, Karrin plays piano along with Vitor Gonçalves, who also plays the Fender Rhodes electric piano and accordion, Harvie S... read more
4-STARS Greta Matassa has made choices in her career that have sacrificed some visibility in exchange for lifestyle. Yet the Seattle based vocal artist has established herself firmly as one of America's finest singers, and one of the best that jazz has to offer in the new century. To this point, the jazz public at large had not heard from Matassa in 5 years, since her last solo release for Resonance Records, "I Wanna Be Loved"... read more
Scene's newest release, the trio's second, is quietly engrossing. "Haiku" for example. A brief gem of a tune, is immediately disarming, introspectively clean guitar fourths frosting a bowed bass sustain atop rushing cymbals. An extreme moment, the disc is, by and large, similarly detailed if more rhythmically active. "Ghost in the Corner" gives a better flavor of the careful approach to space and placement that each player brings to the table, a... read more
This is just a small collection of the Origin Records reviews. Click here to view all reviews or try to Search for your favorite CD title.
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Hanna Kay, Cult News (Paris)
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Budapest, Rudolf Radnai
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Dawn Clement - Dear Ms. Dearie
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Dee Dee McNeil, Making A Scene
Affinity Trio - New Outlook
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Michael Dease Big Band - Return Trajectory
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Brad Goode Quintet Feat. Ernie Watts - Live Your Dream: Live at North Street Cabaret
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Maja Jaku - Blessed & Bewitched
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect