The team of Lieven Cambre'/as, Piet Verbist/b and Jesse Dockx/dr team up for some fun bop and beyond. Cambre' has a sweet as honey tone, gloriously sighing to Verbist's resonant bass on "In Peace with Gravity" and relaxing on the lovely "Ballast". His vibrato gets lonely while Dockx gets frisky on "For Less Than Nothing" and the team snaps joyfully on "My Love You." Dockx brushes up on the soft shoe "To Remember" and delivers a hip grove with... read more
The Northwest doesn't have a lot of big bands, so this group that composer/arranger Kelly has pulled together is a welcome sound for our little corner of the universe. Who cares that half the players are from elsewhere? Bellingham resident Kelly has enlisted some L.A. and New York cats, like saxophonists Jerry Dodgion and Pete Christlieb, and Dallas players Randy Lee and Pete Brewer. Throw in Portland drummer Gary Hobbs, noted Seattle trumpeter... read more
A fluent tenor saxophonist with a cool tone and a relaxed style, Matt Otto is able to glide over the most complex chord changes gracefully. For this pianoless quartet set with guitarist Greg Touhey, Otto creates cool jazz of the 21st century. The music is mostly quiet with its heat being just below the surface. Even "Class Struggle," which is essentially "Giant Steps," features Otto's playing making it sound simple and laid-back. This subtle... read more
4-STARS Goode is an outstanding instrumentalist who enjoys performing as a soloist. He is also an exciting composer and arranger. His compositions cover a broad stylistic repertoire: There are traditional jazz pieces like "Goose Chase," "Ornithology" (which, however, doesn't develop in the announced direction), and "Cabin in the Sky," in which he works with the familiar compositional elements of the big band. There are also lyrical and... read more
O guitarrista mexicano Hugo Fernandez iniciou a carreira no final dos anos 80, tocando com artistas da cena pop do pa's natal, como Thalia (sim, aquela que vocês conhecem). Em 1998 obteve a licenciatura em música na tradicional Berklee College of Music e em 2005 completou o mestrado em "Estudos de Jazz" na University of New Orleans. Apesar de toda a experiência, Fernandez só lançou o primeiro disco - o bom Origenes - no começo de... read more
This is quite the achievement. This sounds like Branker's friendliest record yet. He pulls off the dandy feat of merging art and commerce making creative jazz that could leap to mass appeal. Straight ahead without an ounce of any kind of pandering, Branker leads his charges through a galloping date that really packs a wallop. With a pair of saxes leading the charge, this is everything you could want in a swinging, mainstream date that makes... read more
To commemorate jazz legend James Moody's centennial birthday celebration, Origin Records releases the sanguine James Moody: 80 Years Young-Live At The Blue Note. The album captures both a March 2005 birthday party and a victory lap for Moody as he fronts a stellar and rotating cast of musicians that includes trombonist Slide Hampton, pianist Cedar Walton and alto saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera. The vibes are as relaxed... read more
Giacomo Gates didn't decide to make a career of music until 1990, at age 40, and his debut recording appeared five years later. Since then he has established himself as a member in excellent standing of the ever-so-exclusive club of male jazz singers. With "Centerpiece," Gates takes another leap forward, with a wide-ranging repertoire demonstrating his many vocal skills and the natural appeal of his deeply resonant baritone instrument.
On... 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