Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Pharez Whitted - For the People
by Ken Dryden, All Music
Chicago native Pharez Whitted may not have garnered the attention of New York-based trumpeters, but he has built an impressive career over several decades. For the People features his working band (saxophonist Eddie Bayard, guitarist Bobby Broom, pianist Ron Perrillo, bassist Dennis Carroll, and drummer Greg Artry), playing his compositions. "Watusi Boogaloo" is a perfect opener, as Whitted develops a hip groove and features the entire band.... read more
Marc Seales - People & Places
by Edward Blanco, All About Jazz
Seattle pianist Marc Seales, an established sideman and retired educator from the University of Washington, maintained a long-time friendship and collaboration with such jazz luminaries as Mark Murphy and guitarist great Larry Coryell, both of whom have since passed, and last, but certainly not least, tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts. Seales reunites with saxman Watts on their latest outing entitled People & Places, a collection of six originals,... read more
The Spin Quartet - In Circles
by Paul Abella, Chicago Jazz Magazine
There's not a lot to know about The Spin Quartet, or their album, In Circles. There's no liner notes, and to tell the truth, I don't know much about leader and trumpeter Chad McCullough. I know that Clark Sommers has appeared on a few of my favorite local discs from the last few years. I know that Kobie Watkins is a beast behind the drums, and everything I've ever heard from saxophonist Geof Bradfield has been excellent. So, we can be... read more
Marcos Varela - San Ygnacio
by Raul da Gama, JazzdaGama
Marcos Varela is a name new to me, but a veritable household name among musical cognoscenti in New York and elsewhere in America. Moreover he is a bassist who emerges from the performance on San Ygnacio with great credit - imaginative, capricious, and lyrical, and with technique aplenty in reserve. At times on the disc he can be, let's say, literal at the ppp, but he is also someone who likes to exploit the full dynamic range of the double bass,... read more
Ray Vega & Thomas Marriott - East-West Trumpet Summit
by Don Mather, MusicWeb-International.com
Throughout the history of jazz, trumpet players have pitted their ability to improvise against one another. My guess is it started with King Oliver and Louis Armstrong in New Orleans. In more recent times audiences have thrilled to the creative talents of groups that had Howard McGhee matched with Fats Navarro, Art Farmer with Donald Byrd and Freddie Hubbard with Woody Shaw. Although the competition is now more friendly, under the surface, the... read more
Piet Verbist Zygomatik - Cattitude
by Gunther Ramysen, Demofarm
In ons land wordt aan jazz sowieso te weinig aandacht besteed, maar aan wie moeten we dan aandacht besteden is dan al snel de vraag. En dat is makkelijk te beantwoorden met de naam Piet Verbist. Piet Verbist is een contrabassist uit het Antwerpse die vooral bekend is geworden met zijn rol in het Jef Neve Trio en het label Contour dat hij oprichtte. Het was op dat label dat hij de eerste releases (Blue Saga en It's Gone) van het Jef Neve Trio... read more
Courtney Fortune - Speak Love
by Ken Capobianco, Cape Cod Times
Courtney Fortune Speaks Love in Gorgeous Tones
There are so many female pop vocalists steeped on "American Idol" histrionics who want to out Mariah Mariah these days and jazz singers who don't have the word nuance in their dictionaries or think they have to imitate the husky tones of Cassandra Wilson or chilly remove of Diana Krall. So, few fresh voices are emerging in either genre.
It's nice to come across a talent like... read more
Anthony Branker - Beauty Within
by Carol Banks Weber, AXS
These are the musicians you want on any heart-stopping new jazz recording: guitarist Pete McCann, pianist Fabian Almazan, double-bassist Linda Oh, tenor/soprano saxophonist Ralph Bowen, and drummer Rudy Royston. They're in-demand jazz side men and session players who do a number on nine compositions by bandleader and composer Anthony Branker for his and his Imagine Quintet's new album on Origin Records, Beauty Within, recorded on April... read more
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